OutoftheBox in Care Homes
“One resident arrived shouting and angry but really got engaged with the story, the response time and the further talk over tea. They left saying it had been really meaningful and they would love to come again.”
Bridget Steenkamp, Chaplain to a care home
OutoftheBox offers relational spiritual care to older people, including those living with dementia. An OutoftheBox session can help an older person feel loved, cared for and have a greater sense of belonging in their community.
“’My heart is touched by the story’ was one participant’s first response. Even the least involved person at the table had a smile on their face at the end.”
Susanne Methven, Chaplain in a Senior Living Community, Oklahoma
“It was a huge sucess, the hatbox and contents proved to be of interest as well as the story. The resident participated thoughout listening carefully before commenting on what she liked, what she didn’t like, what part of the story was about her and then adding to the story.
Bridget Steenkamp, Chaplain to a care home
“We shared Castles today. Our residents were unusually awake and engaged. The storytelling built among residents based on the idea of decorating the castles. We added flowers, a spire to the original castle, and front doors. Each person placed herself in the story (in the mountains, near the spire, with the younger child). When the story concluded, they liked the variety of colors on the underlay. One resident suggested they needed a song. Another said, ‘What about “Love me tender, love me true”?’ The first resident didn’t know the song, but liked the idea when the second said, ‘It’s about loving others and holding onto them.'”
Erica Roberts, city chaplain for older people in Southampton, describes her experiences of using OutoftheBox in a memory cafe. She runs a charity called Caraway and they resource the spiritual wellbeing of the older people across the city. Storytelling is at the heart of everything they do.
Kristin Kemsley is an activities co-ordinator in a care home for older people. She has found OutoftheBox to be really helpful in all the stages of living with dementia, as it alleviates a lot of anxiety without addressing it directly. It gives people a chance to be heard and it’s an avenue into their own story and a way for them to express themselves, even if they don’t have all the words for it.
Susanne Methven is an Episcopal priest working in a senior living centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has been using OutoftheBox in a memory centre with dementia patients.