I’ve worked in community care for almost thirty years now and no one has made me laugh more than Clive. He is by far the funniest ninety-year-old on the face of God’s green earth. You know when someone just tickles your funny bone with a look? I usually manage to get to grips with the characters I work with within the first few weeks, it has been almost a year since we started working together. We have become close, or as close as community care three times a week will allow. I can tell that there are certain things that cause Clive anxiety and one of them is memory. Unfortunately, this is a major problem with onset dementia, so I am mindful when we are together. One of the most tricky situations to navigate is our walks. We spend time in the kitchen in the mornings, Clive holding court as he does, but when we start our walk to the park he often forgets where he is and who is with him. This is partly due to a lack reference, places are unfamiliar and he can’t see that I am with him. A lack of companionship in this instance is critical for his peace of mind, as I need to stand behind him pushing the chair. The disorientation is almost instantaneous and has led to some troubling episodes of anxiety and resulting hysteria. When the support team issued us with the Universal Walker a few months ago, it transformed our day. He can now continue an unbroken monologue from the time I arrive until the time I leave and his daughter is back from work.
