A day in the life of a befriender: 'Seeing a smile on their face brings comfort to me'

Jenny Chapman has 17 years of professional experience caring for people with mental and physical disabilities, older people, those who are frail and those living with health conditions such as dementia.

She has seen first-hand how individual care can make all the difference to those whose lives are affected by dementia or other life changing conditions and on 1 July 2016 launched Brightening Lives Elderly Social Stimulation Support (Bless Support), an independent befriending service.

“I aim to bring a ray of sunshine to the lives of people who can all too often feel lonely, anxious or depressed either because of their condition or due to isolation,” said Ms Chapman.

“Bless Support is a holistic approach to small scale day care in a home-from-home environment. I offer professional, compassionate and relaxed care for small groups of four to five people where I can personally tailor the day’s activities to suit individual interests. This type of positive socialisation helps individuals to continue to feel valued, active members of the community and helps to improve their health and well-being.”

Sparking reminiscence

Before providing Bless Support, Ms Chapman arranges a visit to the individual’s home to take a detailed care plan of the needs and support that may be required. She spends time discussing the needs of the individual as well as finding out about their interests, hobbies and life history.

“The care I provide is very much tailored to the individual,” she said. “I provide a welcoming and secure environment where people with a range of care needs, including those with Parkinson’s disease or moderate to late stage dementia, can feel comfortable and relax.”

The befriending service begins at ten o’clock in the morning when Ms Chapman collects individuals from their home and brings them back to her house in Woodford Green, where they are welcomed with tea, coffee and biscuits.

“During this time we often take a look at the newspaper together and chat about the past week's events. This instigates lots of conversation and often sparks reminiscence. We then discuss what they would like to do that day to ensure the activities are centred around their daily needs and current interests.”

’Favourite past-times’

Bless Support is a personal service encouraging individuals to participate in a variety of independent and group activities in a relaxed way. The aim, according to Ms Chapman, “is for everyone to enjoy themselves and spend time in a social environment with others.

“Individuals play favourite past-time games such as bingo, dominoes and cards, watch musicals, have a dance or even look through books of years gone by, while others are interested in the history of their local area. Sometimes we use Google Earth on the computer to discover whether the street they grew up in has changed. This allows individuals to recall and connect with personal memories which can inspire many conversations amongst the group.”

Ms Chapman also provides one-to-one care for individuals, helping them access different places within their community which they may no longer be able to do alone.

“If they have mobility difficulties and lack confidence, having someone they can trust and rely on to help them remain as independent as possible within their local community can make all the difference,” she added. “This may include going to a cricket match, visiting the post office or even taking a trip to the local supermarket.”

During the afternoon Ms Chapman prepares a two course home-cooked meal, often preparing old favourites such as fish and chips or lamb stew.

“Lunch is a gentle, shared experience where the group are encouraged to interact with each other, helping to build strong connections whilst developing their confidence,” she said.

“This shared time can also develop an individual’s interest in food and reminds them of the importance of a balanced diet and regular meal schedule, particularly if they are living alone.

’A smile brings comfort’

“Bless Support ends at three o’clock when the group are all personally driven back to their homes, by which time their carers have hopefully benefitted from some respite as well.

“The most important thing is that the group have a fun and fulfilled time when they attend Bless Support and if they are living alone it ensures they’ve got out of their home and shared some quality time with others,” she added.

"It brings me huge comfort to see the smiles spread across their faces when they return home."

Bless Support covers Woodford Green, South Woodford, Hainault, Wanstead, Chigwell, Buckhurst Hill, Loughton, Redbridge, Barkingside, Clayhall, Highams Park and Chingford.

For more information, visit: www.blesssupport.co.uk