Open Wings Adult Learning

For some reason our text to go with our lovely ‘Good Health, Good Lives, photo didn’t share so here it is . Please get in touch if you can offer any exciting and fun activity/keep well sessions 🙏

have made it into the final 4 !! Cannot describe how happy everyone was at Open Wings today !!

Still reeling from our fantastic news today of making it into the group of the final 4 finalists in the Environmental Award category for the BBC Make a Difference Awards! Everyone can now treat themselves to a bag of crisps but don’t forget to bring in your empty packets for us to recycle and make into blankets ! 😂 We are beyond thrilled ! 😀😀😀😀😀

What a brilliant session last week with . We can’t wait for tomorrow our 3rd session of move more !

As Dementia Action Week draws to a close, I want to share our personal story. These are pictures of our mum and dad. Dad is 98 and living with vascular dementia, and Mum turns 90 this year.

I very rarely post personal things, but I really felt I needed to do this..

It breaks my heart to see the emptiness in my parents’ faces when they no longer remember their children, grandchildren, and Great-grandchildren

It breaks my heart when they ask my name over and over again, and still cannot place me anywhere in their lives.

It breaks my heart when I ask my once proud, smart and dapper parents to change their clothes and it all becomes too much for them. When they start crying because they don’t understand what is happening, or simply don’t have the energy anymore.

It breaks my heart when dad doesn’t recognise mum as his wife and thinks she’s a stranger in her house. Can you imagine the confusion in his brain ?

Both my parents were given diagnoses, and then… very little more.

Getting Mum officially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s took at least three or four years. Not that a diagnosis makes things easier — it doesn’t. It gives a name to what is happening, but it doesn’t bring extra help, extra family support, or extra care, or even anyone to sit and talk to about the stages ahead.

People working in health and care services do their very best within the limits of their jobs, but resources are stretched.

Dementia care — from faster diagnosis to better, more effective support afterwards — is absolutely vital.

Families give up so much to care for the people they love. Most days it is an honour and a privilege. But a lot of days are incredibly hard.

And when those hard days come, who do families turn to?

We urgently need a stronger, better dementia care strategy. Families and those living with dementia deserve more.

If you agree, please share.

An absolute total mockery from our Government!! How will this make families/carers feel who are navigating the mine field of issues relating to SEND !! Shocking !

SEND response Harmless Policy Response: Department for Education’s SEND Campaign Featuring Gemma Collins - Harmless Harmless shares its policy response to the Department for Education’s SEND campaign featuring Gemma Collins.