The Friends of Ticehurst

Projects

 

Below are some of the projects undertaken that have signalled the start of support efforts by The Friends of Ticehurst.  Some of these projects have been specifically aimed at those aspects that contribute to the wellbeing of folk with dementia.

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Garden Project with Ice Cream Parlour

In 2017, we decided to convert what was a plain brown, patchy and unused outside area into a Sensory Garden with Ice Cream Parlour.  The idea was to create a space that would essentially extend the usable area of the home and realise a project that would be unique within care homes in the UK.  The advantages of a sensory garden in the world of Dementia are very well documented.  In 2020, the first part of our project involved the addition of three murals to provide some visual stimulation for our residents on what was a stretch of plain brown fencing.

 

Through fundraising and appeals for grants, we managed to raise £15,000 which was about 50% of what we'd envisaged we would need for the project. With these funds we have managed to install a summerhouse and then we were faced with the Covid-19 situation.  Our fundraising efforts have been severely curtailed and grants/appeals have all but dried up for anything other than Covid related projects.  Ideally, we would have liked to achieve......

• Fully paved pathways suitable for the barely ambulant, walkers and wheelchairs.

• A section with outdoor musical instruments.

• A small putting green.

• Raised flower and veggie gardens.

• Separated seating areas where carers, residents and loved ones could meet.

• The ability to organise functions that would include the greater community.

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The Pig and the Whistle

Primarily to encourage hydration, this is a "dry bar" that was commissioned by the staff - it's been a huge success and has seen many functions and general use by the residents to stimulate memory recall whilst hydrating with lovely "mocktails".  Click here to see photos.

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The Yellow Jug Cafe

Again, in order to encourage hydration and stimulate appetites, the Yellow Jug Cafe was designed.... with lots of input from residents.... as a lovely spot for relatives, friends and residents to enjoy a cup of tea.  Click here to see photos.

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Music Room

Filled with donated musical instruments and related material, this is a room that was designed to provide music - it's a well known fact that dementia sufferers have a keen appreciation of music and dancing.

 

WWII Memorabilia Room

This spot has been dedicated to WWII memories with uniforms, books and memorabilia donated by families, which have a special relevance to some of our residents.  Click here to see photos.

 

Hairdressing Salon

This room has been styled to fully service hairdressing endeavours - once commissioned, our ladies should feel as though they're being spoiled!  Click here to see photos.

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Bathrooms

Each of the bathrooms has been refurbished, by staff members, with specific themes to create a visual stimulation for residents.... even at the most inopportune moments.

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Gardens

You may have all noticed that we have lovely garden spaces for our residents. Each year, our friends offer their services to tidy up, plant new foliage and just generally keep our gardens looking amazing.  Click here to see photos.

 

Memorial Garden

It was felt that a small, untidy patch of garden would work very well as a Memorial Garden.  The area was cleaned, a membrane put in place and covered in small white pebbles, the idea being that pebbles (black) with the names of departed residents could be placed amongst the white ones.  This was a "quick win" project that has worked out very well.   Click here to see photos.