Action not just words

Our philosophy is not purely to provide progressive written reports, and then to just keep our residents safe and quiet (and depressed). We take real action to improve our residents’ quality of life.

We realise that our residents have suffered greatly from their severe mental health problems including the institutionalisation that has often resulted. We understand that often their motivation, interests and ability to live meaningful lives with meaningful activity has been repressed. A lot of our residents have had their spirits squashed.

Our aim is to be proactive in helping residents rediscover their joie de vivre, give them opportunities to do the activities that interest them and give them something more to look forward to than the television always on in the background, the four walls and the next cigarette or the next meal.

In our homes we are not interested in ‘we already tried that’ when it comes to one of our residents. We are interested in ‘what do we try next’.

Above all what makes our residents feel more alive and better about themselves is being valued, being respected, being spoken to, being given some real understanding about how hard life has been and still is for them, being shown kindness and interest, being given a little ‘fuss’ and attention.