"The Last 6 months and More"

I have been attending a Day-Care Centre in the south-west of Nottinghamshire for about six months. My fellow patients(?) are of mixed ability, ranging from some dementia to very little.

It was with some misgivings that I joined in with the groups. However, once I settled, about 2-3 weeks, I felt more settled and much less nervous of my ability. I became quite adept at the tasks set, and more recently have been of assistance to the carers in the organising of particular tasks,eg bingo calling, quizzes and the like.

My particular "grouse", if it may be called that, is the questions of the quizzes have started to be repetitive, and although not recognised by most participants, I find that I am "switching off" rather than joining in.

Could I make a plea for more questions, or more "brain material".

I also find that the activities are not really planned, I suspect because there can be over twenty people of differing abilities requiring attention. Staffing? Planning? Timings?

I realise that even a Masters Degree is as nothing when one starts to forget chemical formulae that have been inbred for many, many years. So I can accept that quizzes and the like have to be aimed down the middle. I accept that the carers are doing their best with the tools at their disposal, but I feel that with a little extra planning it could be so much better.

The carers deserve every credit and I admire their patience in very trying circumstances.