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Chinese Proverb
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Pause for Thought
Monthly blog
Home is More Than A Place
Posted onThis month I want to stay with Tom Kitwood’s flower metaphor and explore another petal: Attachment.Belonging Begins with Being Seen
Posted onExploring how we need to look behind the label of dementia, to see the whole person, including their life history and identity.Oi, Queer! You’re Dead
Posted on“Oi, Queer… those were the words shouted at me by a group of around six men when I was 23. They chased me into a secluded mews near Earl’s Court. At least two of them were carrying baseball bats.Why I Do What I Do. Being Seen: Purpose, Personhood and Dementia Care
Posted onI’m often asked, “Why do you do what you do?” In this month’s Pause for Thought, I share some personal insights into why I’m passionate about what I do.We need to Value Care Staff More
Posted onMike’s Monthly Thoughts and Reflections The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. Care staff across the UK embody this principle every day. When I deliver dementia training, I’m continually struck by the dedication, skill and compassion that workers bring to their roles—often…Standing in Our Own Light: Boosting Self-Esteem through Authenticity
Posted onOwning our story and loving ourselves through that process is thebravest thing we’ll ever do. February brings two themes together that are close to my heart: Boost Your Self-Esteem Month and LGBT+ History Month. Both invite us to pause and reflect on how we understand ourselves, how we value ourselves…New Year Resolutions – Have We Forgotten Them as February Approaches?
Posted onMike’s Monthly Thoughts and Reflections Well begun is half done. January is famous for bright, bold resolutions that fade faster than the fairy lights. If you’re already sensing the February Dip, you’re not alone. The issue isn’t you — it’s that we’re encouraged to set big declarations with little scaffolding,…
Top Tips – Tuesdays
Top Tips for Staying Comfortable During Hot Weather
Posted onSmall adjustments can help people feel more comfortable, maintain independence and enjoy their day.Top Tips for Creating Magical Meaningful Moments
Posted onSome of the most memorable moments in dementia care are often the simplest.Top Tips for Having Meaningful Conversations
Posted onMeaningful conversations help people feel heard, valued and connected.Top Tips for Supporting Choice
Posted onChoice helps people maintain independence, dignity and a sense of control.Top Tips for Creating a Warm Welcome
Posted onThe way we welcome someone can shape their whole experience. For people living with dementia, a warm welcome can help reduce anxiety and create a sense of safety and belonging.Top Tips for Leaders: Building a Values-Led Culture
Posted onLeaders shape culture and create environments where values are sustained.Top Tips for Using Observation to Strengthen Values-Based Care
Posted onObservation helps reveal how values are lived in practice and supports reflection and improvement.Top Tips for Recognising and Celebrating Values in Action
Posted onIt is easy to focus on what goes wrong and overlook positive practice. Recognising values in action strengthens culture.Top Tips for Embedding Values into Everyday Dementia Care Practice
Posted onValues are most powerful when they shape behaviour in real situations. In dementia care, this includes how we respond to distress, communicate, and support dignity.Top Tips for Understanding Vision, Mission and Values in Dementia Care
Posted onVision, mission and values are often written down but not always brought to life. In dementia care, they are not abstract ideas.Top Tips for Why Inclusion Is More than Awareness
Posted onDementia Action Week challenges us to move beyond awareness and ask what inclusion looks like in practice, across services, communities and everyday encounters.Top Tips for Working Alongside Families and Unpaid Carers
Posted onDuring Dementia Action Week, it is important to recognise carers not simply as helpers, but as people who need understanding, partnership and support in their own right.Top Tips for Seeing the Person beyond the Dementia
Posted onWhen dementia becomes the dominant lens, people risk being treated as a set of symptoms rather than as individuals with lives, histories and agency.Top Tips for why Diagnosis Still Matters
Posted onDuring the month of Dementia Action Week, it is worth revisiting why diagnosis still matters, especially when conversations about dementia can feel difficult, delayed or avoided.Top Tips for Responding to Stress in People with Dementia
Posted onHere are 20 Top Tips for spotting the signs of stress in people with dementia.Top Tips for Causes of Stress in People with Dementia
Posted onHere are 20 Top Tips for spotting the signs of stress in people with dementia.
Top Tips for Identifying Stress and Distress in People with Dementia
Posted onHere are 20 Top Tips for spotting the signs of stress in people with dementia.
Top Tips for Becoming a Dementia Behaviour Detective: The 4 Ws before the Why
Posted onHere are 20 Top Tips for spotting the signs of stress in people with dementia.
Top Tips for Dealing with “Distress-related Behaviours“ in Dementia Care
Posted onDistress‑related behaviours are often a form of communication. These tips can help you understand what the person may be trying to tell you and support them safely, compassionately and respectfully…
Top Tips – Thursdays
Top Tips for Creating a Sense of Belonging
Posted onBelonging is about feeling valued, respected and able to contribute authentically.Top Tips for Understanding the Social Model of Disability
Posted onThe Social Model helps us focus on removing barriers rather than changing people.Top Tips for Creating Accessible Experiences
Posted onAccessibility is about ensuring everyone can participate, contribute and feel included.Top Tips for Addressing Performance and Difficult Conversations in Supervision
Posted onPerformance issues develop over time and can be addressed early through effective supervision.Top Tips for Prioritising and Protecting Support and Supervision Time
Posted onConsistent supervision builds trust and motivation. Cancelling sessions sends the wrong message – supervision isn’t important; this person isn’t important.Top Tips for Getting the Support and Supervision Agenda Right
Posted onA clear agenda creates focus and balance between performance, wellbeing and development.Top Tips for Structuring Strengths-Based Support and Supervision
Posted onThe way supervision is structured shapes the conversation. A strengths-based approach builds confidence, ownership and growth.Top Tips for Understanding the Importance of Support and Supervision
Posted onSupport and supervision are not an optional extra. They are the foundation for building trust, clarity and consistency in teams.Top Tips for How Wellbeing is Shaped by How Work is Organised
Posted onMental Health Awareness Week is an opportunity to look at how work is organised, not just how people cope.Top Tips for Support Mental Health Without Becoming a Therapist
Posted onMental Health Awareness Week is a good time to remind ourselves that we can be supportive without taking on roles we are not trained for.Top Tips for Psychological Safety is a Mental Health Issue
Posted onPsychological safety is not a “nice to have”. It plays a vital role in protecting mental health and supporting collaboration.Top Tips for Why Mental Health Is an Issue for All of Us
Posted onMental Health Awareness Week offers a chance to reframe mental health as something created, supported or undermined collectively, not carried by individuals alone.Top Tips for Supporting Stressed Staff and Volunteers
Posted onThis week we are focusing on developing personal resilience – the ability to bounce back during difficult times.Top Tips for Developing Personal Resilience
Posted onThis week we are focusing on developing personal resilience – the ability to bounce back during difficult times.Top Tips for Creating a Life-Work Balance
Posted onWe usually use the term work-life balance. However, I’d suggest we put that the other way around and work can take our primary focus.
Top Tips for Identifying the Physical, Emotional, Behavioural & Organisational Signs of Stress
Posted onApril is Stress Awareness Month and Top Tips Thursdays are devoted to the impact of stress on individuals and workplaces.
Stories to INSPIRE – Saturdays
A Series of Stories, Folktales, Proverbs and More to Inspire and Reflect Upon
The Starfish Story
Posted on
I first heard this beautiful story from a dear friend and colleague, Danuta Lipinska. I use this story (in my own words) on my dementia courses. I believe that as…
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