Participant story: Georgia and Joy

This blog post tells the story of Georgia, one of the participants who took part in the Culture Box activities and two research interviews. Her story is remarkable – there is a clear sense of the impact that the project had on her as it allowed Georgia to build a close and supportive relationship with the care staff member, Joy.

The story has been anonymised and pseudonyms are used.

“My son, my eldest son said, told me I wasn’t doing so well with memory.  I don’t know about it but they can, before I moved here, so I don’t know, don’t have long memory like before but I can look after myself and, you know?  Can’t remember my children, my grandchildren, my great grandchildren.  Before that I think I was very low […]  My son told me and I used to have sharp memory but my memory is not very sharp now […]  I was a different person who they didn’t know.  He did not want me to stay on my own and this place, people took care, they look after me, anything they do for me, yes.” (T2)

The first interview was 3 months after Georgia had moved into the care home – she reflected on the reasons why she had moved into the home as well as the ways that the move had benefited her health and wellbeing.

Interviewer: Georgia, what do you feel when you look at those drawings?

Georgia: It is nice, nice, yes, very nice, very nice.  Where I’m coming from and where I am now, that is two different places.  I was very low before I came, before I live here, before I came here.

Interviewer: Before you came here.  You have been here?

Georgia: Nine months.

Joy: No.  It hasn’t been nine places.  It has probably only been about three months.

Georgia: Three months?

Joy: Something like that, yes.  It hasn’t been very long.

Georgia: I feel it was better now, more than before.

Georgia was thoroughly enjoying the activities in Culture Box. They brought back memories of travel and her life in Jamaica:

Joy: We sit and talk about things and then she will, then it will prompt her, remind her of something else, to bring back other memories … She talks about being in Jamaica.  You were telling me all about the fruits that grew on the trees.

Georgia: Yes.  Pears and mangoes.

Joy: Yes.  That was when we were looking at this picture, that is the – how do you pronounce it, Baobab tree, yes … it reminded Georgia of fruit that grows in Jamacia.  So she was naming all the different fruits.

In the second interview, there was a clear sense that Georgia had progressed significantly. She voiced that she now felt “good and safe” in the care home where “they take care of us”. The staff member, Joy, reflected on how much her health and wellbeing had improved since she moved into the home:

“I think Georgia has come a long way from when she first came. She wouldn't partake in anything at all. So now it is a case of she is finding her feet, getting to know people, getting comfortable with staff. And you say what you want now don't you?” (T3, Joy)

This improvement in Georgia’s wellbeing is most likely due to a range of factors. One of which is the role that the regularity of the Culture Box activities allowed Georgia and Joy to connect one-to-one:

“What I have noticed with Georgia is that she likes to do more one to one. When I do a culture box activity she doesn't like to do it front of other people. So, I have recently learnt that. I didn't realise. So, I have sat with her today and I have said right, that is fine, we can set a date once a week to do one activity or something like that.” (Joy, T3)

It was clear that Georgia did not want to engage with the wider care home, or other residents involved in Culture Box, whilst doing the activities. For her, her alone time with Joy was incredibly important. In this interview, Georgia told the interviewer that she preferred to do the activities with just Joy, stating that she had become like a daughter to her:

Hannah (Interviewer): Would you think about doing any of these activities with someone else? Someone else in the care home? Not just Joy but with someone?

Georgia: I have to get used to the person first. I am used to Joy; I rely on Joy. I rely on her. But I would have to see the next stranger.

Joy: It would be a member of staff here. Would you be happy with someone else to do some, for instance

Georgia: I would have you. Sorry, sorry.

Joy: You don't have to apologise.

Georgia: I know but I am not that close with them like you. You come like a daughter to me. We rely on the other to me.

Joy: Oh bless you I am going to cry now.

Hannah: Aw.

Joy: So lovely, God bless you.

Georgia: And my children they know that. They know about you.

Joy: Oh that means a lot. Thank you.

Hannah: Aw. How lovely. You are very lucky Joy.

Joy: I feel very lucky Hannah.

Georgia: I am lucky I get in touch with you. My family that is important.

Joy: Well that makes me feel good that I am doing my job well and that the residents are happy to come in and the visitors are happy as well because it is not nice not seeing your family.

Georgia: You are looking after me.

This one-on-one time had allowed them to develop a close relationship. Joy had become part of Georgia’s extended family and an important part of Georgia’s life. Joy also found the relationship nourishing, she reflected that she was always learning new things about Georgia and wanted to continue to support Georgia so that maybe in the future she would want to engage with others in the care home whilst doing the activities:

“You know today I was sitting chatting and I found out more things about her that I didn't know. I thought wow okay that is helpful to me because I can maybe mould that activity round her more. So that she can take part in stuff and then gradually bring little groups together. Maybe two or three people together where she feels comfortable.”