We got double thumbs for Meadow View, she loved it – Betty’s respite journey
When Lisa needed a short break from caring for her mother-in-law Betty, who lived with herself and her husband Paul, they discovered glowing reviews for our Meadow View home in Hersden, Canterbury.
Three respite breaks later and Betty, who lives with dementia, has happily moved in permanently!
Lisa explains: “When mum went in for respite, she really enjoyed it, and it was clear she’d had a great week. You could see she was happy and had been looked after so well.
“Mum is non-verbal and one of the staff even made her flip cards to help her communicate, which I thought was really going above and beyond. And it is so great there they do lots of things with her, like pamper mornings.
“If she’s happy she will put her thumbs up, and if you get a double thumbs up, she’s extremely happy – and we got double thumbs for Meadow View, she loved it!
“And for me it was amazing to have a holiday and a break.”
When it came to going again, Betty didn’t hesitate. Lisa added: “She has made friends there and she loved having people around her.
When she was at home with us, she didn’t have many people around and she would just sit and look out of the window. When she went into respite, she loved having the company.”
Lisa, who suffers from arthritis and fibromyalgia, has found relinquishing her role of carer has benefited her physical health.
“It got to the point at home where we were exhausted, and mum’s dementia was really progressing. We were stressed all the time, which makes fibromyalgia worse. I was in so much pain and thought ‘I can’t go on like this indefinitely’.
For Lisa, being at Meadow View has done wonders for Betty’s wellbeing.
“The staff are lovely and they absolutely love her. We went to see her recently and she was eating a cooked breakfast – she would never have eaten that with us at home, she would have pushed it away.”
For more about life at Meadow View Residential Care Home, our Enquiry Support Team are here to talk on 0800 331 7425.
