Wiltshire Farm Foods Journal

With an ever increasing elderly population, a home meals delivery service like Wiltshire Farm Foods you can trust is a critical element for those wishing to retain their independence and carry on living in their own homes.

There are 750, 000 people in the UK with dementia, a condition where brain cells die off without being replaced, short-term memories being usually the first lost. Instances of early onset Alzheimers have become more and more common, as relatives or friends begin to notice sufferers become forgetful, confused, repetitive and prone to wandering.

As symptoms become more apparent it can be exhausting or distressing for carers, and that’s where charities like Alzheimers Support can help, providing information, relief care service giving carers a well-deserved break and a number of day care and social clubs for those with dementia. These clubs are like a home from home with a high staff to patient ratio, offering members the freedom to do whatever activities they fancy, be it gardening, shopping, or going to the library or hairdressers.

Anna Littlechild manages Alzheimers Support: “I worked in a residential care home for years but had no idea of the everyday difficulties people faced in the community when a loved one developed dementia”.

Anna kindly agreed to visit our outlet in Trowbridge to give a talk to our drivers on Alzheimers, how to recognise the symptoms, manage them and make their deliveries as enjoyable as possible, for both the driver and the customer.

'Often sufferers will not recognise the driver’s face or remember they now have meals delivered – as far as they are concerned they may still be completely independent. Understandably it can be very frightening or frustrating not to remember, so it is key you use their proper names and perhaps mention the family member that organises the meals for them.'

All Wiltshire Farm Foods drivers wear uniform and carry ID with them, and will always identify themselves. If you have any special instructions for any of our drivers you can put them in the Special Instructions box just before you checkout at www.wiltshirefarmfoods.com

Jason Coles, delivery driver says: “It was really helpful to talk to an expert, as we’ve all seen the signs and recognise when we might need to inform family members about the welfare of one of our customers, but it’s good to know the best way to deal with the situation. Sometimes us popping in with the delivery could be the highlight of someone’s day, and we’d like to keep it that way, for all our customers, whatever their situation.”

Alzheimers Support is a charitable organisation, for further information please visit www.alzheimerswiltshire.org.uk, or for more information on the condition and for details of support in your local area please visit http://www.alzheimers.org.uk.