insideKENT Magazine Issue 84 - March 2019 | Page 162

Finding the
PERFECT PLACE
JANE GODDEN’S FATHER MOVED INTO BAYCROFT’S ORPINGTON HOME IN
LATE DECEMBER 2017. HIS MOVE MARKED THE END OF A LONG AND DIFFICULT
SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT PLACE TO LIVE – WE HEAR HER STORY...
Could you tell me about the process of
finding somewhere for Bill to live? showing up on the wall. It was my mum’s favourite
film – it was almost like she’d found it for us.
Before Baycroft, he was living independently with
carers coming in. My dad has had Parkinson’s for
many years, and he also has dementia. It wasn’t the
easiest time. How’s Bill finding his experience at
Baycroft so far?
My brother and I would come in at six in the morning
to get him up and ready for his day, then come home
from work and help at the other end of the day as
well. We were called in the night when he fell out
of bed. It came to the point that we felt irresponsible
leaving him there on his own. He didn’t want to go
into a home, but it almost seemed like we were
waiting for something to force our hand.
Was it around this point that you came
across Baycroft?
It was. We started looking at homes, and took some
time off work to do it. We must have looked at
ten, at least. We were going further and further
afield and there wasn’t one that I could bear him
going into.
Then my sister-in-law said she’d found one on the
internet, which turned out to be Baycroft.
We met Lesley [Customer Relations Manager at
Baycroft], and it was like everything I wanted and
more. It was the best feeling, because until that point
I just didn’t know what we were going to do.
This sounds really daft but we went into the cinema
in the residence, and they had the name of the film
162
Don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t been an easy ride.
That’s partly because dad’s used to calling the shots
– he was quite high up in the civil service. It’s also
his dementia, it makes him forget sometimes that he
can’t walk.
All I wanted was for him to not be stressed, not
agitated – all these things come into play with
dementia. It’s been such a learning curve. We had
some informative meetings about dementia at the
home where they explained a lot of stuff.
He was very used to working hard, and we have a
core of carers who are so good with him. For example,
sometimes he’ll think he’s back in the civil service,
and they’ll sit and pretend they’re taking minutes
from him.
He can be a very difficult person if you don’t know
him, but they’re making a huge effort to get to know
his personality. At first when he went in, one of us
would go every day but now we don’t and I don’t
feel at all worried. I’m so comfortable with how
things are there.
www.baycroft.co.uk