A New Day Centre

In 2007 we anticipate further investment in a further Day Centre in Lawerence Hill, Bristol in partnership with Guinness Trust.   This is an area of great need for the elderly.

Why another Day Centre?

Research
Every day nearly 100,000 elderly in the South West have no contact with anyone at all - every day at least three will die at home alone. In a survey producing this shocking result, many living alone said they were often or always lonely and felt isolated in their homes and cut off from the world. WRVS chief executive said: "Few understand the impact of loneliness. It can be the difference between life and death. Housebound and deprived of human contact, older people go downhill rapidly in both physical and mental terms."

Research has shown that one way to alleviate such loneliness and to promote well-being is to provide regular social contact and a focus for activities. This is where Day Centres have a pivotal role to play.

The Society is also jointly financing a new social club model for the Centres in the Greater Bristol area and currently is being refined at Colliers Gardens Day Centre, Fishponds.

Personal Care

Specially designed baths are a very important dimension of Day Centre provision because many elderly people living alone are frightened to take baths on their own. Thus, their personal hygiene suffers and they are humiliated by a feeling of lost decency. They fear a fall, they face difficulty getting in and out of the bath and, in some cases, they find it difficult to achieve the right water temperature. Even when a carer is present the fear persists, especially because, under current regulations, carers are not allowed to pick up someone who has fallen. They are obliged to call for the ambulance service and sometimes, unofficially, for a relative.

We have included baths at our Day Centres because a bath in secure surroundings with trained staff makes a fundamental contribution to the welfare of the elderly, both physically and mentally - something that many look forward to as a highlight of their week. Apart from taking care of personal hygiene on a regular basis, these baths have a number of additional benefits such as helping to keep skin in good condition, maintaining mobility, stimulating circulation and reducing stress.

Other Projects

The Society is in close touch with other providers of facilities to support the elderly. In particular it is examining a number of projects for the provision of sheltered housing where, as in the case of New Anchor House, it acted as a facilitator as well as a significant provider of funding.