Day Centres

What is/was your experience of day centres for people with dementia?

  • Positive [patient was under 65]

    Votes: 22 10.3%
  • Negative [patient was under 65]

    Votes: 15 7.0%
  • Positive [patient was over 65]

    Votes: 88 41.1%
  • Negative [patient was over 65]

    Votes: 26 12.1%
  • I have no experience of day centres

    Votes: 53 24.8%
  • There are no day centres within reach

    Votes: 4 1.9%
  • There are no places available at the local day centre

    Votes: 6 2.8%

  • Total voters
    214

Gwenno

Registered User
Jun 18, 2006
34
0
Worcestershire
Mu husband loved the Day Centre that he went to. He would stand for hours peering through the leaded light windows on the front door, or standing by the window waiting for the bus to come and fetch him. He liked it because he said he thought he was the youngest there. Very sad for us as he was the youngest there.

Unfortunately his condition with FTD made it impossible for them to care for him any longer as he was disrupting the other residents. So now he is in a Care Home, and he likes that very much as well. I have no idea where he thinks he is, but I think he thinks he is still at the day Centre which he liked so much. There are two full time Activities Coordinators at the Home and they are brilliant.

Gwenno
 

junegl

Registered User
Apr 19, 2007
8
0
Buckinghamshire
day care

Jack is 85, registered blind, very deaf and has almost no memory at all. the first time I took him to the day care he tried to get out of the car while it was moving. He did stay, as the young lady that took him in was chatting to him and he did not realise he was staying, we have not looked back, we had a few times when he said he was not bad enough to go there but has been going for 8 months and now goes 2 days a week. I do take him and pick him up, as the transport comes too early in the morning and he would not settle.what I would do without the care I do not know.as he is calling and shouting all the time.I just hope others have as much luck as I have in the day care that Jack now has
 

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
Lizbet , Just wounding how your husband getting on at day-center .

How are you feeling in yourself , hope you got the time out on Sunday to have Lunch with your brother ?

Year on since I posted in this thread and now my mother love AZ day center , also she going to Social service day center 2 days a week from next week , so giving me more time out for myself .
 

mindy.

Registered User
Aug 12, 2007
1
0
london
mindy

i worked at a day centre ..people that attended enjoyed it most of the time .it depends on the staff and how its run by management .

person centered care respected for what they want to do as much as possible not expected to sit through an activity they are not enjoying .
not to be treated as school children .if that can be achieved day centers can be very enjoyable for the people that attend
 

michelle66

Registered User
Dec 17, 2007
5
0
I work at a day care centre and generally the clients love coming but clients with very bad dementia tend to go to more specialised centres. My mum has recently been diagnosed with vascular dementia but is quite bad so will not be coming to the centre I work in.We have an open door policy but other centres for more progressive dementia dont.My mum gets very aggressive and would prob try to get out.
 

gigi

Registered User
Nov 16, 2007
7,788
0
70
East Midlands
I'd like to put my two pennyworth in here.
Eric has access to a day centre once a week.
The bus will pick him up between 8.30-9.00-so he has to be ready by 8.30-not possible,really in his case.
He hates the bus. He does not really enjoy the day centre. He doesn't go every week.
On the weeks that he does go-I take him,the bus brings him home-he is exhausted.
We(CPN etc)(plus me) have "conned" him into going to give me some ME time-I really appreciate that-but feel guilty. Eric is a brilliant pianist and we persuaded him to go to the day centre by telling him that his talents would be appreciated-he hasn't forgotten that and is aware that they rarely ask him to play-it's a keyboard-not a piano-and he hates it.
I think he also hates it because he can't have his own way-watch what he wants on TV,sleep when he wants,has to go outside to smoke..
The day centre gives me a welcome break-there'll always be that guilt feeling that it's more for my benefit than his..
But I need that break to keep on caring...:eek:
He says he doesn't belong there-all the others are old,mad and ugly...:)
 

christine_batch

Registered User
Jul 31, 2007
3,387
0
Buckinghamshire
When Peter was 58 and diagnoised with A.D. The Day Centre facility was not equipted for the under 65's. Three times a week he had to go and each time came home in tears. Being faced with those further into the illness was not in my opinion suitable.
I spent hours doing research for the under 65's activities. Produced a document and handed it to the Local Authority. There were 6 people and as I met up at Carers meeting with their partners telling me the troubles they where having on their return from Day Centre. I was not only doing it for my husband but for all the under 65's. The most annoying issue was - the Carers were abled bodied and no one wanted to help leaving me a disabled person to do the work. So when a new Day Centre was set up especially for the under 65's I got the thank you from these people but I did not want the thank you's, I was doing this for those under 65's. At the beginning the Consultant told me if it did not seem right to you - don't send him.
Christine
 

madala

Registered User
Aug 15, 2006
24
0
south wales
My wife Kathleen (74) has been going to the local day centre for about 2 1/2 years at first did not want to stay on the 3rd week the nurse manager told me to just drop her off and go straight away after that she was fine.In fact every time we drove pastthere she wanted to go to her day club.Now she does not remember much about being there but is quite happy there and well looked after by the staff ,she also goes to the same building for a weeks respite care evey 5 weeks which is a special unit for the elderly I am very happy with the care and attention that she recieves and the break that it gives me .
good wishes to all carers and sufferers :)
 

auntie

Registered User
Sep 27, 2006
8
0
london
Transport was the problem

We had a bad experience with the transport facility to the day centre. Mum can't go anymore.
 

catsalsus

Registered User
Feb 6, 2008
7
0
Scotland
My dad goes twice a week to give mum a break. Trouble is she has to dash around to get him ready on these days which makes her more tired than usual. The day after his visits he is more cranky and awkward than usual. We keep him going as it is a change of scenery for him and they do lots of activities with him. He doesn't know that he has been but we believe it's good for him.
 
1

117katie

Guest
could not agree more

A change is as good as a rest, we used to say. So, like you, the day centre may tire him/her/US out, but who knows .... could be beneficial.

Katie
 

BeverleyY

Registered User
Jan 29, 2008
716
0
Ashford, Kent
Dad tried the Day Centre this week, and he came home tired but seemed happy enough to go back.

It's a social services run one. He is picked up by private taxi, dropped back by taxi - social services have let the contract to a big private car hire company. It's the same cab company Mum and Dad have used for years, so Dad had no trouble feeling safe going with the driver. In fact, the driver said he knew my Mum and Dad well as he had picked them up many times over the years.

I think Dad overdid it at the centre though, as he wanted to help rather than sit doing the activities. He washed up and mopped the floor and was shattered when he got in.

Beverley
 

rhallacroz

Registered User
Sep 24, 2007
106
0
merseyside
Day Centre

HI Beverley
Sounds like he enjoyed it though. My Dad has been going to a day centre for a year now and I hope he enjoys it. Although recently he has had to move to an EMI day centre which I found hard to cope with. But there are a few men that he knows in fact one his friends thinks that he runs the place. And the staff let him think so. He thinks he is going to work. At least he feels fulfilled.
Hope that it givves you some respite. I also wish to express my sympathy to you as you have just lost you mum it must be so hard.
Life is tough isnt it.
Kind regards
Angela
 

bclark

Registered User
Feb 15, 2008
68
0
greenhithe kent
the negative side to day centres where i live is that i would have liked to had a choice where early onset dementia patients could go i have heard of other areas that have early onset daycentres, alans 64 now, and goes to a daycentre which caters for the older age group,they do a very good job. but there are more younger dementia patients beimg diagnosed and this subject comes up more and more. bclark:)
 

aceblytons

Registered User
Sep 2, 2007
58
0
Wigan
day care centres

My husband has vascular dementia,he attends a day centre and loves the time spends there.
Ican't speak to highly about them,he is well cared for and i don't need to worry about him.
The carers i feel are very special people to do the job they do. what he enjoys he tells me,he is with other people and that makes a big difference to him.

new member lornadoone
 

margaret101

Registered User
Jul 17, 2008
56
0
clacton on sea
day centers

My Bill loved his day centers we met another couple at a care group so the two boys went to there _club together my husband was about 55 then
I LOVED THE CENTER WITH ALL MY HEART X X

Marg x
 

icare2

Registered User
Jun 18, 2006
84
0
scotland
day centres depends on the age and compatibility

most centres are just put there as your SW.(social worker) has nothing else to offer you,generally throo there inexperience,as usually is the the case,lets face it do not blame them,as most of the NHS doesent know !! how to deal with it,but dont blame them as its there only thing they have too offer you probably at there time there,what i mean is you have got to get a SW.(social worker) thats very experienced on this illness,very hard too find coz in my experience even the top !! consultants do not know as well,my Consultant is not very good at all,first time i met him,he said theres nothing I can offer your wife to treat her, but there was a tratmeant going on in ABERDEEN UNIVERSITY,THAT WAS JUST ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THAT AT THAT TIME COULD HAVE HELPED HER. what I am saying is you always need HOPE..
 

Deli

Registered User
Jul 15, 2008
5
0
London
Day centres soon to be a thing of the past?

My mother loves her visits and I do not know what we will do without this facility. I certainly cannot entertain her so well. She likes meeting people even if she cannot always understand the conversation. The staff are wonderful with her even though the cente is not meant for dementia sufferers. She plays snooker, ball games and has a great meal. she doesn't like Bingo very much however - they try to help people play and she thinks it is cheating..! The day centres in Birmingham are scheduled to close next year with no other provision being made as yet...
 

Norman

Registered User
Oct 9, 2003
4,348
0
Birmingham Hades
The day centres in Birmingham are scheduled to close next year with no other provision being made as yet
Hi Deli
this is not true.
Special care centres are being built which will become the the centre of the communty.
They will contain dementia beds ,short stay beds.There are 8 in the pipeline 4 are open,or due to open
I do have first hand knowledge of these having been involved with them from the begining.
Norman
 

icare2

Registered User
Jun 18, 2006
84
0
scotland
for us day centres were a waste of time,just our opinion

as my wife was only 54 when she went too her first day center,she was like a fish outta water,all the other ppl were lotts older,so you need to consider that,before you put anyone intoo them,seems too me the local authorities should have already known that,after all they are the ppl that run them.. say no more,or is it just another way of not giving you or stalling you of the other Services that they can offer you,at a higher cost to them,but what im saying really for AD sufferes day centers are of no use AT ALL FOR Alzheimers illness,as they need 121 all the time,well thats my experience,but also I may add my wife is lotts better now,since we have had care at home prvided with ILF funding,as she is under 65 ILF FUNDING IS AVAILABLE THROUGH YOUR SOCIAL WORKER,YOU CAN GET MORE INFO ON THIS FROM YOUR LOCAL PRINCES TRUST IN YOUR AREA