Ashgill is the care home where Dad's lived for nearly five years. It's a small home in Milton in Glasgow's east end, near Bishopbriggs and Springburn, which cares for the frail elderly and people with dementia. The staff at Ashgill are amazing people. They're always cheerful and positive, and they treat each of the residents as individuals, with all their quirks and likes and dislikes and fads. It's so easy just to see dementia. Ashgill's staff see the person still there behind the illness.
One of their especially nice habits is putting on afternoon tea parties for the residents and their families in order to celebrate just about anything - Mother's Day, the Jubilee, the Olympics, the World Cup, Easter, Christmas, Burns night, you name it. Joanne and Charlene, the activities organisers, go the whole hog with care and attention to decorate the dining room and arrange things; the cook makes themed cakes; they put on appropriate music; and there's often singing and a wee bit of dancing in between the tables. I made it to their Paddy's day party on Sunday, got there in time to help cut out some paper shamrocks for the tables, found some of Dad's Dubliners CDs, and stayed for the craic. OK, so the music was too loud, and some of the residents - Dad included - can't take part in the whole spirit of the thing and it mostly seems to pass them by. But even Dad seemed to enjoy his Guinness shandy - a bit! - and soda bread, and it was great to see the residents who did, enjoying it; and the few families and friends who came in, and the staff themselves. A cheerful atmosphere in a old folks' home; a pretty good achievement.
One of their especially nice habits is putting on afternoon tea parties for the residents and their families in order to celebrate just about anything - Mother's Day, the Jubilee, the Olympics, the World Cup, Easter, Christmas, Burns night, you name it. Joanne and Charlene, the activities organisers, go the whole hog with care and attention to decorate the dining room and arrange things; the cook makes themed cakes; they put on appropriate music; and there's often singing and a wee bit of dancing in between the tables. I made it to their Paddy's day party on Sunday, got there in time to help cut out some paper shamrocks for the tables, found some of Dad's Dubliners CDs, and stayed for the craic. OK, so the music was too loud, and some of the residents - Dad included - can't take part in the whole spirit of the thing and it mostly seems to pass them by. But even Dad seemed to enjoy his Guinness shandy - a bit! - and soda bread, and it was great to see the residents who did, enjoying it; and the few families and friends who came in, and the staff themselves. A cheerful atmosphere in a old folks' home; a pretty good achievement.
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