I wonder have you thought about what’s going to happen is you age as you begin
going to happen is you age as you begin
going to happen is you age as you begin to lose your memory your mobility and
to lose your memory your mobility and
to lose your memory your mobility and your hearing
your hearing
your hearing who’s going to look after you who’s
who’s going to look after you who’s
who’s going to look after you who’s going to look after your parents when
going to look after your parents when
going to look after your parents when they age as we get older we lose our
they age as we get older we lose our
they age as we get older we lose our social connections and all the familiar
social connections and all the familiar
social connections and all the familiar people families change our children move
people families change our children move
people families change our children move away to live lives of their own friends
away to live lives of their own friends
away to live lives of their own friends and family die increasing globalization
and family die increasing globalization
and family die increasing globalization means that we can choose where we live
means that we can choose where we live
means that we can choose where we live we can change where we live we can go
we can change where we live we can go
we can change where we live we can go anywhere in the world and for all the
anywhere in the world and for all the
anywhere in the world and for all the people hope is replaced by fear and
people hope is replaced by fear and
people hope is replaced by fear and hopelessness we have increasing
hopelessness we have increasing
hopelessness we have increasing isolation of old people as I was putting
isolation of old people as I was putting
isolation of old people as I was putting this talk together my mind went back to
this talk together my mind went back to
this talk together my mind went back to my days as a student physiotherapist and
my days as a student physiotherapist and
my days as a student physiotherapist and my first geriatric placement that term
my first geriatric placement that term
my first geriatric placement that term geriatric is a term I don’t like I
geriatric is a term I don’t like I
geriatric is a term I don’t like I didn’t like it then and I don’t like it
didn’t like it then and I don’t like it
didn’t like it then and I don’t like it now and the reason is it just strikes me
now and the reason is it just strikes me
now and the reason is it just strikes me that it’s about being incapable I recall
that it’s about being incapable I recall
that it’s about being incapable I recall as I walked up to my first placement as
as I walked up to my first placement as
as I walked up to my first placement as a student and I reached the door of the
a student and I reached the door of the
a student and I reached the door of the geriatric ward the first thing that hit
geriatric ward the first thing that hit
geriatric ward the first thing that hit me was the smell of stale urine it’s a
me was the smell of stale urine it’s a
me was the smell of stale urine it’s a smell that stays with you and it’s one
smell that stays with you and it’s one
smell that stays with you and it’s one I’ve never forgotten when I stepped onto
I’ve never forgotten when I stepped onto
I’ve never forgotten when I stepped onto the ward and I looked down the ward what
the ward and I looked down the ward what
the ward and I looked down the ward what I saw was two long rows of old people
I saw was two long rows of old people
I saw was two long rows of old people some of them drooling some of them
some of them drooling some of them
some of them drooling some of them calling out
calling out
calling out but busy staff could not attend to them
but busy staff could not attend to them
but busy staff could not attend to them wine the clock forwards 40 years or so
wine the clock forwards 40 years or so
wine the clock forwards 40 years or so and what do we have we have modern wards
and what do we have we have modern wards
and what do we have we have modern wards we have modern residential homes and I
we have modern residential homes and I
we have modern residential homes and I look at the residential homes that I
look at the residential homes that I
look at the residential homes that I visit a nice that I visit standard
visit a nice that I visit standard
visit a nice that I visit standard residential homes and I think at these
residential homes and I think at these
residential homes and I think at these places where I would want to spend the
places where I would want to spend the
places where I would want to spend the rest of my life
rest of my life
rest of my life and regrettably the answer is no and I
and regrettably the answer is no and I
and regrettably the answer is no and I have to ask myself why I see them as
have to ask myself why I see them as
have to ask myself why I see them as depressing institutionalize and lonely
depressing institutionalize and lonely
depressing institutionalize and lonely places so what is it that I’m looking
places so what is it that I’m looking
places so what is it that I’m looking for what would I want in a home and the
for what would I want in a home and the
for what would I want in a home and the opportunity came to answer this question
opportunity came to answer this question
opportunity came to answer this question when I was approached by a TV company to
when I was approached by a TV company to
when I was approached by a TV company to look at what we might do to improve the
look at what we might do to improve the
look at what we might do to improve the lives of older people and that’s why I’m
lives of older people and that’s why I’m
lives of older people and that’s why I’m standing here tonight to share with you
standing here tonight to share with you
standing here tonight to share with you what I’ve come to know and what I think
what I’ve come to know and what I think
what I’ve come to know and what I think would make a big difference to us as we
would make a big difference to us as we
would make a big difference to us as we age projects in the United States have
age projects in the United States have
age projects in the United States have been looking at how we can manage this
been looking at how we can manage this
been looking at how we can manage this I’m here to share their experiences and
I’m here to share their experiences and
I’m here to share their experiences and what we wanted to do was to do an
what we wanted to do was to do an
what we wanted to do was to do an experiment that use those experiences
experiment that use those experiences
experiment that use those experiences and introduce a nursery into an old
and introduce a nursery into an old
and introduce a nursery into an old people’s home when I think about a
people’s home when I think about a
people’s home when I think about a nursery in an old people’s home some of
nursery in an old people’s home some of
nursery in an old people’s home some of you might be raising an eyebrow we did
you might be raising an eyebrow we did
you might be raising an eyebrow we did this experiment my colleagues and I a
this experiment my colleagues and I a
this experiment my colleagues and I a researcher and adjourned to a
researcher and adjourned to a
researcher and adjourned to a geriatrician and what we wanted to do
geriatrician and what we wanted to do
geriatrician and what we wanted to do was to take some measurements to see
was to take some measurements to see
was to take some measurements to see what difference it could make so before
what difference it could make so before
what difference it could make so before the experiment started we did baseline
the experiment started we did baseline
the experiment started we did baseline measurements we looked at older people
measurements we looked at older people
measurements we looked at older people and their mood we looked at their
and their mood we looked at their
and their mood we looked at their strength we looked at their physical
strength we looked at their physical
strength we looked at their physical activity I did a test that measured the
activity I did a test that measured the
activity I did a test that measured the time they took to get out of their chair
time they took to get out of their chair
time they took to get out of their chair walk three meters walk back to the chair
walk three meters walk back to the chair
walk three meters walk back to the chair and sit down a timed up and go test it’s
and sit down a timed up and go test it’s
and sit down a timed up and go test it’s called we also looked at their ability
called we also looked at their ability
called we also looked at their ability to look after themselves many of the
to look after themselves many of the
to look after themselves many of the older people talked about despair how
older people talked about despair how
older people talked about despair how despairing no hope for the future and I
despairing no hope for the future and I
despairing no hope for the future and I wondered what difference would this make
we measured their baseline measurements
we measured their baseline measurements at three weeks and at the end of six
at three weeks and at the end of six
at three weeks and at the end of six weeks we introduced activities with the
weeks we introduced activities with the
weeks we introduced activities with the children there were indoor activities
children there were indoor activities
children there were indoor activities outdoor activities tabletop activities
outdoor activities tabletop activities
outdoor activities tabletop activities arts and crafts a variety of things and
arts and crafts a variety of things and
arts and crafts a variety of things and most of these older people engaged well
most of these older people engaged well
most of these older people engaged well what did we find
what did we find
what did we find well at the end of six weeks there was
well at the end of six weeks there was
well at the end of six weeks there was an extraordinary an amazing turnaround
when we had measured the older people as
when we had measured the older people as I said most of them were depressed and
I said most of them were depressed and
I said most of them were depressed and too significantly so when we measured
too significantly so when we measured
too significantly so when we measured them none of them were depressed they
them none of them were depressed they
them none of them were depressed they spoke of hope for the future they were
spoke of hope for the future they were
spoke of hope for the future they were more physically active they joined in a
more physically active they joined in a
more physically active they joined in a intergenerational sports day a sports
intergenerational sports day a sports
intergenerational sports day a sports day there they were competing on the
day there they were competing on the
day there they were competing on the lawns of the home with their
lawns of the home with their
lawns of the home with their four-year-old not just can be running
four-year-old not just can be running
four-year-old not just can be running one resident said he can’t remember the
one resident said he can’t remember the
one resident said he can’t remember the last time he ran one gentleman I recall
last time he ran one gentleman I recall
last time he ran one gentleman I recall at the start of the experiment said this
at the start of the experiment said this
at the start of the experiment said this is a waste of time
is a waste of time
is a waste of time it’s not going to work and there he was
it’s not going to work and there he was
it’s not going to work and there he was playing sleeping lions on the floor with
playing sleeping lions on the floor with
playing sleeping lions on the floor with the four-year-olds
something we didn’t set out to measure
something we didn’t set out to measure was touch and I mention it here because
was touch and I mention it here because
was touch and I mention it here because it’s something the residents shared with
it’s something the residents shared with
it’s something the residents shared with us one resident said she couldn’t
us one resident said she couldn’t
us one resident said she couldn’t remember the last time she was touched
remember the last time she was touched
remember the last time she was touched except for when a carer came to change
except for when a carer came to change
except for when a carer came to change her can you imagine not being touched
her can you imagine not being touched
her can you imagine not being touched not being hugged the first thing these
not being hugged the first thing these
not being hugged the first thing these children did when they met their friends
children did when they met their friends
children did when they met their friends was to run to them and give them a hug
the children ate with residents they
the children ate with residents they shared a picnic all the people often eat
shared a picnic all the people often eat
shared a picnic all the people often eat alone they were chosen as best friends
alone they were chosen as best friends
alone they were chosen as best friends to the delight of the older residents of
to the delight of the older residents of
to the delight of the older residents of foils are choosing them as their best
foils are choosing them as their best
foils are choosing them as their best friends Society cannot afford to ignore
friends Society cannot afford to ignore
friends Society cannot afford to ignore the challenges that aging brings
the challenges that aging brings
the challenges that aging brings depression is a major and a growing
depression is a major and a growing
depression is a major and a growing problem problem amongst our older
problem problem amongst our older
problem problem amongst our older generation we have the opportunity to
generation we have the opportunity to
generation we have the opportunity to stem that tide we can make choices we at
stem that tide we can make choices we at
stem that tide we can make choices we at this moment in time you can see what’s
this moment in time you can see what’s
this moment in time you can see what’s happening around us and make that
happening around us and make that
happening around us and make that connection when we looked at all of
connection when we looked at all of
connection when we looked at all of these older people we saw that there
these older people we saw that there
these older people we saw that there were problems in doing the project but
were problems in doing the project but
were problems in doing the project but we were asked questions and questions
we were asked questions and questions
we were asked questions and questions have been asked about well what about
have been asked about well what about
have been asked about well what about health and safety these four year olds
health and safety these four year olds
health and safety these four year olds around older people what about infection
around older people what about infection
around older people what about infection what about staff treating little
what about staff treating little
what about staff treating little children being expected treat older
children being expected treat older
children being expected treat older people the skill makes
people the skill makes
people the skill makes well I know and I’m telling you now that
well I know and I’m telling you now that
well I know and I’m telling you now that these schemes have been run successfully
these schemes have been run successfully
these schemes have been run successfully across the world within the United
across the world within the United
across the world within the United States on the continent in Japan and
States on the continent in Japan and
States on the continent in Japan and even in the UK a new scheme started in
even in the UK a new scheme started in
even in the UK a new scheme started in London very successful the problems have
London very successful the problems have
London very successful the problems have been addressed they can be ironed out so
been addressed they can be ironed out so
been addressed they can be ironed out so what do we do next I say to you find
what do we do next I say to you find
what do we do next I say to you find that local residential home near you
that local residential home near you
that local residential home near you find that older person living on their
find that older person living on their
find that older person living on their own lonely and start to make that
own lonely and start to make that
own lonely and start to make that connection and some of you probably
connection and some of you probably
connection and some of you probably still procrastinating and thinking well
still procrastinating and thinking well
still procrastinating and thinking well not so sure well what I’d like you to do
not so sure well what I’d like you to do
not so sure well what I’d like you to do when you leave this room today is to get
when you leave this room today is to get
when you leave this room today is to get a calculator
a calculator
a calculator or if you prefer pen and paper and I’d
or if you prefer pen and paper and I’d
or if you prefer pen and paper and I’d like you to go home and do a
like you to go home and do a
like you to go home and do a cost-benefit analysis of a hug thank you
cost-benefit analysis of a hug thank you
cost-benefit analysis of a hug thank you [Applause]
”
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