Getting started again offered little difficulty. The research venue had been most sympathetic to the postponements I had to make and they where very open to me returning to the nursing centre. I will by agreement to them keep the facility unnamed and will not be publishing any names of the people I interview either.
I started out by doing observations around the venue to get a feel of how a day was put together. A day could pass like this:
Getting up between 8-10 am depending on the level of physical autonomy that the individual is in possession of. If one needs help a caregiver will come and give the required assistance. The morning awakening can take between one and five quarters of an hour depending on the mood and the physique of the person. Starting the day also means listening to any thoughts or doubts that the person might have. As depression sometimes occurs the time can be spent solely in conversation. Breakfast is served before 10 an can be eaten either in the private room or at the communal kitchen on the floor.
From 10-12 the local activity centre is offering up activities. Most participate in the communal event where coffee is served along with a couple of slices of fruit. Different caregivers play the piano and songbooks are distributed. People join in at their level while the caregivers tend to arising needs. As half the people living in the home has dementia of some kind there is a large spectrum of capabilities and of situations that need to be handled.
After this session the inhabitants are returned to their floors where they have lunch. The activity centre opens once again at 1 pm with communal activities like movie screening, walks and different games with occasional room for activities suggested by the users of the centre. In the adjacent room a work shop is located that has a number of activities on offer. Sewing, painting, post card making, and other handicrafts can be taken on with support from the staff. Once a week a volunteer comes in and teaches basic computer usage teaching the use of the Internet, word and publisher.
At 4 pm the activity centre closes and the inhabitants returns to their floors. Dinner is served around 6 pm and bedtime for those that need assistance is 9 or 10 pm after their own choosing.
There is of course a lot of activities in between the above mentioned and the inhabitants can come and go as they please some though inhibited by mental or physical handicaps. I will be going back to the centre next week where I hopefully will experience life on a floor and if possible interview staff and inhabitants.