A Stirling effort

Tina Fox visits Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) On Tuesday I was privileged to visit the DSDC at Stirling University to talk to the team there on how we can work together. VfL has, over the years, heard many horror stories of committed vegetarians and vegans being given meat if they develop dementia because “they won’t know any different”. The team working on the issues at Stirling contains a number of vegetarians, so is well aware of the issues facing them. However, they have asked VfL to work with them in improving their nutrition guide and other materials. They have also invited us to provide materials for their very popular library and to provide input for their website. A future food and nutrition day is also a possibility. I was very impressed with the Centre itself, which has been designed with the needs of the individual with dementia as paramount. I took a self-guided tour with a handset and was surprised by some of the things that I learnt. For example, did you know that red and yellow are the last colours that remain when others fade for you? So painting a toilet door bright yellow with clear signs will make it stand out. Also that it is better for carpets on one level to stay the same colour. A change in colour may make the individual think there is a step down or up. The Centre was very bright and airy because natural light is helpful to people with dementia. Upstairs were dining and bedrooms set up with all sorts of helpful aids. A big thank you to the team at the Centre for making me feel so welcome. I look forward to working with you.