Learning disability week - The importance of friendship
The theme of this year’s Learning disability week is the importance of friendships. COVID-19 restrictions have impacted many people with learning disabilities, as they have been unable to see their friends and families.
At Wrekin we have eleven learning disability care homes across Staffordshire and recognise that feelings of isolation and loneliness may be higher for the people we care for during these challenging times.
Our teams have been coming up with new and creative ways to help people to maintain links with family and friends. Using technology like Skype and Zoom has become a part of every day; however a good old fashioned letter means the world to the person who receives it.
At Holcroft Road in Stoke we have been supporting people to write letters home and they have even included pieces of artwork and photos of themselves enjoying activities.
Registered Manager, Andrea Atkinson says; “This has been a lovely thing to do. Families have then written back sending letters and cards and made phone calls which all help to maintain relationships and contact with families and friends. This has certainly brought some happiness and smiles during a challenging time.
One of the incredible things about lockdown is that it has really brought the best out of our teams. We’ve all had to get really creative and think about the activities we do and also how we retain that sense of normality and routine for the people we care for.”
If you would like to find out more about Learning disability week visit the Mencap webiste.
18th June 2020