Making a big impact, one small act at a time

How can we make a genuine difference to people living with cognitive impairment or dementia? We can start with small acts of kindness.

An expert's insights into cognitive impairment 

Allison, a team member at Norah Head Care Community shared a touching story with us.

On a recent visit to the Care Community, Simon, our Head of Dementia Care, shared his knowledge around caring for residents living with dementia. In his visit he said, “We give care to our residents very well, but we also need to look for ways to make them feel valued.”

Reflecting on Simon’s words, Allison described how feeling valued as a human being is like a ripple effect, it makes a huge difference to how we live, how we see ourselves and how we respond to others. 

"For residents living with cognitive impairment or dementia, so much of their everyday lives becomes a place of confusion, to feel valued becomes a place of safety and calm," says Allison.

Bringing joy to residents living with cognitive impairment

June, a resident living with cognitive impairment, had been particularly teary of late due to personal reasons. While Allison knew she couldn’t change the past, she could look for ways to bring joy in the present.

Our team took June outside in the sunshine to the front of Norah Head Care Community and together they enjoyed pots of tea in fancy cups, big slices of tea cake with lashings of butter and loads of laughter. June smiled from ear to ear the entire time and repeatedly thanked them.

At lunch time Allison overheard June in the dining room telling her friend how lovely her morning was, and even though she couldn’t quite remember all of the details, she remembered how our team made her feel.

A wonderful example of bringing our purpose to life.