Before coming to Touchstone, I was not unfamiliar with being around individuals living with dementia; my grandfather was diagnosed 5 years ago, and I have seen first-hand how his condition has progressed, and the effects this has had on him and other family members. While my grandparents are regular attendees of the group, I had no idea what to expect! However, I was pleasantly surprised… I was impressed with the
Hi. I’m back with (I’m sure) the highly anticipated part B of my musings about dementia. As promised below is a transcript of my interview with a person living with a parent with dementia. I hope you enjoy the read and even better if it changes the way you might view those with and those dealing with dementia, as it has done for me….oh and we also get to find
My name is Leota Benjamin and I have worked for Touchstone for several years. My current role is a Mental Health Outreach Worker with The Community Support Team. In addition, I work as an approved Foster Carer, employed by Leeds City Council Children Services for more than 10 years. Being a Foster Carer is a highly skilled and specialist role, which requires energy, compassion and understanding. My main role amongst
Best Start Peer Support Project If you are pregnant or a carer of an under 2 yr old and live in South or East Leeds, why not get involved? Improve your self-esteem, learn new skills and help others in your community. What can we offer? The Best Start Peer Support Programme is offering a free course to help people manage better when pregnant or if they are a parents/carer for a
The Best Start Peer Support Programme aims to empower individuals and families about the relationships they have at home and with professionals, in order that they make healthier informed choices about their lives and therefore become better carers and parents producing healthy children, in line with the Best Start plan for the city. In year one, we received 152 referrals. We have successfully found our niche and created a programme
Hamari Yaadain - Touchstone's monthly dementia cafe for people from the South Asian community - was recently featured on the Alzheimer's Society website and in their Living With Dementia magazine. The articles author quotes Ripaljeet Kaur (Touchstone's lead worker on dementia): "Groups like this one are really important for people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds. It's run in their mother tongue, so people feel comfortable. It's the only group
We asked participants in the Best Start peer support programme how they felt on the final day of the course. Here is what they said. “I’m gutted, I wish it went on for longer, everyone has been really friendly, I will miss everyone” “I wish it went on for longer, I’ve really enjoyed it and learnt so much about myself, I feel sad to say goodbye” “I’ve learned a lot
To help us assess the course offered by the Best Start peer support project, we asked participants to give some comments on each week’s content. Week 1 – Dealing with Stress Because now I can recognise when my stress starts, I can practice these exercises to cool down. Useful ways to recognise my stress levels and useful resources to help clam the stress levels down. I think maybe more skills
The Best Start peer support project offers a six week course to support expectant parents and the parents or carers of children under 2 years. To help us evaluate the course and to keep improving it, we always ask participants for their feedback. Here are some recent comments: What did you think of the course content? It taught me so much about myself and my emotional wellbeing. The subjects were
The Leeds carnival is an amazing celebration which incorporates all three essential elements of authentic West Indian carnival: costumes, music and masquerade procession. It is one of the longest running West Indian Carnivals in Europe and began in 1967, therefore, marking the milestone 50th anniversary in 2017. On this special occasion, the carnival exceeded the expectations of the public, and the crowds of people gathered. It brought an explosion of