Frequently asked questions
In this section we have tried to answer
some questions that are often asked about
the Elderflowers:
1.Who are the Elderflowers? Are they volunteers?
2.Clowning and red noses… is that appropriate for older adults?
3.How many Elderflowers are in the team?
4.What kind of activities do they do?
5.Who is Elderflowers suitable for?
6.What health care units do they visit and how often?
7.How many ladies and gentlemen do the Elderflowers visit per session?
8.How can I obtain a copy of the Elderflowers video?
9.Who pays for the Elderflowers programme?
1.Who are the Elderflowers? Are
they volunteers?
The
Elderflowers are professional performing
artists who have been trained to work
with elderly people with dementia
in a health
care setting. Hearts&Minds looks
for the following skills and experience
when
recruiting new practitioners: at least
five years experience in working as
a professional artist; experience in
using the arts with
vulnerable people; professional clowning
training; maturity; compassion. Hearts&Minds
also runs the Clowndoctors programme
for children in hospital and hospice
care and
practitioners must gain experience
as a Clowndoctor before starting training
to
work as an Elderflower. The practitioners
are not volunteers – they are
contracted by Hearts&Minds and
paid for each Elderflowers session.
All Elderflowers must agree to
the terms of Hearts&Minds’ Confidentiality
Policy, as well as signing an Honorary
Contract with each health-care unit
they work in.
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2.Clowning
and red noses… is
that appropriate for older adults?
Respecting
the dignity of the participants is
a central aim of
the Elderflowers programme. The
Elderflowers wear red noses and
old-fashioned, slightly eccentric
clothes, but no makeup. The red nose
is the smallest mask in the world
and
provides
visual
focus,
an invitation to play and seems to
trigger recognition in the participants.
The
Elderflowers tailor their approach
to the individual
participant, which could mean playful
banter or a very gentle, non-verbal
intervention.
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3.How many Elderflowers are in the team?
At
present there are eight brothers and
sisters in the Elderflower family – Tiny,
Cookie, Honeybunch, Sweety-Pie, Petal, Toots and Skip. The ‘family’ theme
allows the Elderflowers to introduce
family-related themes
and makes it easy to introduce new ‘siblings’.
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4.What
kind of activities do they do?
The
Elderflowers skills include clowning, improvisation,
puppetry, music and movement. Sessions
can involve groups or individuals. During
their training, plus regular artistic sessions,
the Elderflowers learn a bank of activities
and themes which they can pull from. Examples
of themes might include: a day out at the
seaside, ballroom dancing, home improvements.
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5.Who is Elderflowers suitable for?
The
Elderflowers programme has benefited
elderly people
in the advanced stages of dementia
and other organic conditions including
Alzheimer’s Disease,
Vascular Dementia, Pick’s Disease
and Huntington’s Disease.
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6.What health care units do they visit and
how often?
Long-term,
assessment and respite wards at the
Royal Edinburgh Hospital (once
a week) and Borders General Hospital
(once a week). We now also provide regular visits to Herdmanflat Hospital, Haddington and Findlay House at the Eastern General Hospital, Edinburgh. The programme runs
for forty weeks
of the year, with breaks at Christmas,
Easter and in July/August. We have
received feedback from staff that
the programme
can provide a reassuring link between
assessment and long-term care for
some patients.
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7.How many ladies and gentlemen do the Elderflowers
visit per session?
The Elderflowers
aim to see seven to ten participants
per ward
per session.
How do the Elderflowers choose who
participates? In fact they don’t!
An important part of the programme
is that health
care staff refer ladies and gentlemen
to the
Elderflowers and give a reason for
the referral plus basic information
about
the participants, interests and medical
condition.
Some long-term patients are referred
to the Elderflowers on a regular basis
during
their stay, allowing the work to develop
over time.
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8.How can I obtain a copy of the Elderflowers
video?
The Dementia Services Development
Centre (DSDC) at the University of
Stirling has commissioned and produced
an independent,
educational video about the use of
humour in the Elderflowers programme,
called ‘Red
Nose Coming!’. The video was
filmed during Elderflowers sessions
at Borders
General Hospital and is for sale from
the DSDC, tel 01786 467740. The Elderflowers
onsite supervisors at Borders General
Hospital
also hold a copy of the video.
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9.Who pays for the Elderflowers programme?
Registered
charity Hearts&Minds has an ongoing
fundraising campaign to continue
to provide the Elderflowers
programme to participating units. The
launch funder for the Elderflowers
programme was the Scottish Arts Council
National Lottery.
Additional funding has been provided
by trusts and foundations, Lothian Health Board, Borders Health Board, the Scottish Arts Council, local authorities,
businesses and individuals.
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