The Windrush Generation and how the Immigration Act affects those with dementia

Welcome back everyone,


I hope you're enjoying the nice weather that we've been having recently and that you're keeping well.


This blog we will be looking at the Immigration Act of 2014 and the impact that this has had on Commonwealth Citizens residing in the UK, in particular those from the Caribbean. We will also be examining how this affects those with dementia.


To understand this more fully we will need to take a history lesson back to 1948 when the first Caribbean immigrants landed on UK shores.
They had been invited by the British government to help re-build Britain after the Second World War due to post war labour shortages. They were granted leave to remain for their service and this in effect meant that they were British citizens.







The term "Windrush Generation" comes from the name of the ship that brought the first of the Caribbean immigrants from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and other neighbouring islands. The name of this ship was MV Windrush, and it landed at Tilbury Docks, Essex on June 22,1948.



It is unclear how many people belong to the "Windrush Generation", since many of those that arrived as children, travelled on their parents' passports and never applied for travel documents - but they are thought to be in their thousands.


End of an Era


The influx ended with the arrival of the 1971 Immigration Act, when Commonwealth citizens already living in the UK were given indefinite leave to remain.
After this, a British passport holder born overseas could only settle in the UK if they firstly had a work permit and, secondly, could prove that a parent or grandparent had been born in the UK.
What this meant, is that people who entered the UK before the 1st of January 1973 (the day the 1971 Immigration Act came into force) would most likely have had settled status. Settled status would only be broken if that person had spent 2 years or more outside of the UK.
 People with settled status can apply for a no time limit biometric residence permit (BRP) which proves you have settled status in the country. People able to establish their settled status may also be able to apply for British citizenship. And this is where we encounter the first hurdle, as the cost of this BRP is £229 per person. So, for instance, a person with settled status and 3 dependants (dependants being children under the age of 18) would be paying out at a cost of £916. Not exactly cheap. If you would like to access the Government's Premium Service then you can add another £610 per person on top of that which, for our person with 3 dependants, would then tally up to £3,356. But first and foremost, you would need to prove that you have settled status in the UK. And herein, lies the crux of so many of the problems that you may have read about.

The much vaunted BRP card

Proof of settled status


Once you have filled out form NTL, you then have to provide documentation to prove your immigration status in the UK. This would include your current passport or travel document, your immigration status document (if separate from your passport), your dependants passports or travel documents and your dependants immigration status documents (if separate from their passports). In addition you may also be asked for all passports or other travel documents you or your dependants have been issued since being granted Indefinite Leave to Enter/Remain.
Now that's quite a lot of documentation if you have it, but if you don't have this (as many of the Windrush Generation didn't), then you needed to provide the following evidence of continuous residence in the UK during the period that you or your dependants were granted indefinite leave, such as:

• Council Tax Letters
• Letters from a GP confirming dates of attendance
• Letters from a school/college confirming dates of attendance
• Electricity, gas or water bills
• Letter from an employer/employers confirming employment and

A police report or reference number for the theft or loss of any passports/travel documents and if you have them in your possession, any home office letters notifying you or your dependants of the grant of indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK. If you do not have such letters to provide, the Home Office will aim to decide your application by checking the information they hold about you on Home Office systems.
Not only does this seem like a lot of information to provide when a simple email to HMRC would confirm the bulk of this information, but as you will find out later, the information the Home Office held was lacking quite a lot of relevant details.
To see a copy of the NTL form you need to fill in to apply for indefinite leave to enter/remain follow this link https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-to-transfer-indefinite-leave-to-remain-in-uk-form-ntl










The case of Michael Braithwaite





Michael Braithwaite had resided in the UK for over 50 years. He arrived in the UK at the age of 9 with his parents from Barbados in 1961. Michael attended primary and secondary school in the UK before starting into continuous employment as a teacher to children with special needs. Along the way, Michael became a father to 3 children and grandfather to 5 more. He had been working at a primary school in North London for 15 years when a routine check into his immigration status flagged that he did not have up-to-date identity documentation.
Michael was contacted by his personnel department and informed that if he did not supply the relevant documentation, then they would not be able to employ him anymore.
Realising that he needed the new documentation, Michael contacted the Home Office to prove that he had a legal right to reside in the UK. The Home Office records showed that Michael did indeed have indefinite leave to remain in the UK but failed over 2 years to provide him with this documentation.
In 2017, a local authority ruled that Michael had not provided the documentation necessary and he subsequently lost the job he had held for 15 years. Needless to say, Michael was devastated as he now was deemed as an illegal immigrant and due to the Immigration Act of 2014 and the Hostile Environment policy that the Government had introduced to tackle illegal immigration, he now was at risk of losing his house and being deported. Also, Michael had no recourse to public funds and Legal Aid for this kind of case had been abolished in 2012.
Thankfully, Michael's case was highlighted in The Guardian newspaper and due to the media attention that followed, the Home Office then issued Michael with the documentation that stated he had indefinite leave to remain in the country.
Sadly there are many cases like Michael's from Albert Thompson, a 64 year old man denied cancer treatment on the NHS due to the same set of circumstances, to Renford McIntyre, a retired builder who ended up losing his house and ending up homeless on the streets of Dudley, through to Paulette Wilson who had worked as a cook and served food in the House of Commons. Paulette was detained in an Immigration Removal Centre in Yarl's Wood and but for a last minute legal reprieve, would have been deported back to Jamaica, a country that she had not visited in 51 years.
For a full and detailed list of people affected by the Windrush case follow the link https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/20/its-inhumane-the-windrush-victims-who-have-lost-jobs-homes-and-loved-ones
So why have all these high profile cases been happening? To find this out, we need to visit the Immigration Act of 2014 and the Hostile Environment policy that was designed to run alongside it.


The Immigration Act of 2014 and the Hostile Environment Policy


The Immigration Act of 2014 was introduced by the then Immigration Minister, Mark Harper (co-incidentally the MP for the Forest of Dean). Here is an overview of the 2014 Act.





Mark Harper said :
"The UK has a long and proud history of immigration. Our immigrant communities are a fundamental part of who we are and we are a richer and stronger society because of them.
"But the public expects and deserves an immigration system which is fair to British citizens and legitimate immigrants and tough on those who abuse the system and flout the law.
"The Immigration Bill will stop migrants abusing public services to which they are not entitled, reduce the pull factor which draws illegal immigrants to the UK and make it easier to remove people who should not be here.
"We will continue to welcome the brightest and best migrants who want to contribute to our economy and society and play by the rules. But the law must be on the side of people who respect it, not those who break it."


Background:


Immigration is down a fifth since it's peak in 2010 and net migration is down by a third. The Immigration Rules have been reformed to cut out abuse where it was rife while at the same time retaining the UK's position as an attractive place to work for the brightest and best around the world. But there is still more to do.
As things stand, it is too easy for people to work in the UK illegally and take advantage of our public services. The appeals system is like a never-ending game of snakes and ladders, with almost 70,000 appeals heard every year. The winners are foreign criminals and immigration lawyers - while the losers are the victims of these crimes and the public. It is too difficult to get rid of people that have no right to be here.
This is not fair to the British public and it is not fair to legitimate migrants who want to come and contribute to our society and economy.


What we are going to do:

• Reform the removals and appeals system, making it easier and quicker for those with no right to be here;
• End the abuse of Article 8 - the right to respect for private and family life
• Prevent illegal immigrants accessing and abusing public services or the labour market

How we are going to do it:


The Bill will make it :


(i) Easier to identify illegal immigrants by extending :

• powers to collect and check fingerprints;
• powers to search for passports;
• powers to implement embarkation controls;
• powers to examine the status and credibility of migrants seeking to marry or enter into civil partnership

(ii) easier to remove and deport illegal immigrants by:

• cutting the number of decisions that can be appealed from 17 to 4 - preserving appeals for those asserting  fundamental rights;
• extending the number of non-suspensive appeals. Where there is no risk of serious irreversible harm, we should deport foreign criminals first and hear their appeals later;
• ensuring the courts have regard to Parliament's view of what the public interest requires when considering Article 8 of The European Court of Human Rights in immigration cases;
• restricting the ability of immigration detainees to apply repeatedly for bail if they have previously been refused it.

(iii) more difficult for illegal immigrants to live in the UK by:

• requiring private landlords to check the immigration status of their tenants, to prevent those with no right to live in the UK from accessing private rented housing;
• making it easier for the Home Office to recover any unpaid civil penalties;
• prohibiting banks from opening accounts for migrants identified as being in the UK unlawfully, by requiring banks to check against a database of known immigration offenders before opening accounts;
• introducing new powers to check driving licence applicants' immigration status before issuing a licence and revoking licences where immigrants are found to have overstayed in the UK.

In addition, the Bill also contains measures to:

• introduce a new requirement for temporary migrants who have only a time limited immigration status to make a contribution to the National Health Service;
• give the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner new powers to better regulate the immigration advice sector, to protect migrants from exploitation and prevent spurious and inappropriate applications for which waste public funds and delay the handling of immigration cases;
• simplify the current fees legislation, which is spread across a number of different Acts, amending the criteria and process in regards to the Home Office's ability to charge fees for immigration services.

Taken together, these measures aim to make the UK the least attractive destination for illegal immigrants, reinforcing the idea that we welcome legal migrants that contribute to our economy and society but we will take firm action against those who break the rules.


The Bill will benefit:


British citizens and legal migrants by:

• Deterring illegal immigrants from coming to the UK in the first place;
• Allowing the Home Office to identify, and enforce the removal, of illegal immigrants;
• Encouraging more of those that are here unlawfully to leave;
• Reducing the cost to the taxpayer of the immigration system through fewer appeals and more cost recovery through fees;
• Reducing pressure on services therefore freeing up capacity for the lawfully resident population.

Q and A:


Why is there nothing in the Bill to stop migrants accessing benefits?


DWP have already taken measures in the Welfare Reform Act to prevent illegal migrants from receiving contributory benefits and statutory payments (such as Statutory Maternity Pay) if they have no right to work in the UK at the point of claim. The government are also taking steps to further tighten migrant access to benefits. New powers in primary legislation are not required for this:

• The Home Office is creating a new statutory presumption that the EU right to reside as a jobseeker, and consequently access to benefits, will stop after 6 months - unless the person can prove that they are actively seeking work and have a real chance of getting a job. To introduce this measure, we will amend the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006 to come into effect in January 2014.
• DWP are also strengthening the Habitual Residence Test. All migrants, including British nationals returning from a period of living or working abroad, have to satisfy the test to claim income related benefits. DWP have improved the question set and this will be supported by an intelligent by design IT system that will tailor the questions asked to individual circumstances. The strengthened test will be introduced by the end of 2013.

If you would like more detailed information on each part of the Bill, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-bill

The Hostile Environment Policy


The aim of a hostile environment policy was to root out illegal immigrants in the country by tightening the rules around immigration and to get landlords, priests and bank workers to police the system for the government.
In 2013, the government launched it's first attempt to encourage those with illegal immigration status to return to their country of origin.
Unfortunately for the government, it looked like this.





This was the beginning of the government's hostile environment policy and was widely condemned at the time for being heavy handed and in the words of Yvette Cooper, "using the language of the National Front".
As you will be aware from the overview of the 2014 Immigration Act, the government were driving through a stringent policy of checking the status of immigrants via landlords, employers, bank workers and driving agencies. This facilitated the need for people who needed to prove their immigration status to provide a seemingly never ending supply of documentation to prove they had the right to be in the country.
Now this is where the problems began for the Windrush generation. Most of their parents had never been given a letter to confirm their indefinite leave to remain in the UK, as this was protected in the Immigration Act of 1974. However, the removal of a clause in the 2014 Act was to remove that protection. The clause which stated that all longstanding Commonwealth citizens were protected from enforced removal and formed part of the 1999 Immigration and Asylum Act was removed from the updated 2014 version. The government did not announce this, nor did it seek consultation on potential ramifications.
A big bone of contention during all of this was the landing cards that had been signed by the Windrush generation on arrival in the UK. They had been used previously by officials to prove subsequent generations right to remain in the UK, so why weren't they being used now. The answer was that they no longer existed.
In October 2010, a decision was made to shred the documents due to data protection issues when the offices that they were held in, in Croydon, closed down. This was despite numerous warnings from staff and case workers that it would make it harder to prove the right to remain for Caribbean born residents.
Now there have been accusations and counter accusations regarding who ordered the destruction of these landing cards and why they weren't digitised, which would have complied with Data Protection, and it has already cost one Home Secretary her job and forced the Prime Minister into a series of public apologies.
 On 03/05/2018, Theresa May addressed parliament and promised an inquiry into the Windrush errors with access to all information pertaining to the case.




In an ironic twist of fate, one of the first people to suffer from the implementation of the 2014 Act, was the Immigration Minister, Mark Harper, who on 08/02/2014, had to resign his post when it was revealed that he had unwittingly hired an illegal immigrant as a cleaner.








Well thanks for the history lesson Mark, but what has this got to do with dementia?


Well as you can imagine, it's been pretty difficult for those who are in possession of full capacity to prove their cases, so this would be doubly so for someone with dementia. The burden of proof lies with the individual, not the Home Office, and the hostile environment is still in play as the government have stated that this is what the majority of the British public want.
Now if you have to apply for British citizenship, one of the criteria stated is "not being of unsound mind", which means having full capacity. Those that have been following this blog will know that one of the main features of dementia is that it leads to fluctuating capacity. Therefore without full capacity, this creates a bit of a dilemma for someone with dementia applying for British citizenship.


The Home Office have issued the following guidelines for their staff where full capacity might be an issue.


The Full Capacity Requirement


Full capacity is defined in Section 50 (11) of the British Nationality Act 1981 as being "not of unsound mind". It is not further defined in the Act, but you can consider the requirement as having been satisfied if the standard set out in this guidance is met.


To meet the requirements, applicants must be able to understand the purpose of their application. You must not expect a total understanding of either:

• nationality
• citizenship
• knowledge of procedures
• the statutory provisions

Applicants must be of sufficiently sound mind to know that they want to acquire, or in some cases, renounce British nationality even if they require advice or assistance from others in making this decision. Before granting an application, you must have no reason to doubt that they have a sufficient level of understanding. The full capacity test is not there to deny British nationality or prevent renunciation of British nationality by those whose disability makes it difficult for them to communicate.


Waiving the requirement to be of Full Capacity

Under Section 44a of the British Nationality Act 1981 as inserted by section 49 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 the Secretary of State has the discretion to waive the requirement of full capacity, if they think that it is in the best interests of the applicant to do so.


Consideration of Applicants


Most applicants have no difficulty in meeting the full capacity requirement. You must assume that the applicant meets the requirements unless there is information provided to cast doubt.


Such information could include a letter from a referee or a doctor stating that the applicant has a physical or mental health condition that prevents them from meeting the full capacity requirement. In such a case, referee enquiries may be appropriate to establish the decision.


Alternatively, a letter to the applicant's agent, guardian or to the applicant themselves may help establish enough information to make a decision. Where applicants have lodged their own applications, the presumption is that they meet the full capacity requirements unless there is substantial evidence to the contrary.


If it appears that the applicant may have a mental or physical illness and is receiving treatments, you must give applicant's, their guardian or their agent the option of submitting a report from their doctor or a medical professional. (NB that this at the cost of the applicant, their guardian or agent). You must explain the full capacity requirement and our interpretation of it, and request as much information as possible to help us reach our decision on the application.


In some cases, there may be conflicting professional opinions about an applicant's mental capacity. In such cases, you normally give the applicant the benefit of the doubt.


In cases where the applicant cannot be considered of full capacity you must consider whether it would be in their best interests to waive the requirement. It would normally be appropriate to take into account of the:

• views of the applicant, to the extent that they are able to express them
• views of any person, professional or otherwise who have assumed responsibility for the applicant's welfare
• citizenship of any other family members, especially those with who the applicant resides or is in regular contact

The decision whether or not to waive the full capacity requirement must be taken by a senior case worker.

So unless the person with dementia has family members or care staff to help them with all the paperwork and costs relating to their application, there is a very good chance that this might not be successful. The knock on effect being that this would then affect their ability to access benefits, medical care and possibly lead to deportation.






Would the British Government seriously deport someone with dementia though?


Well you wouldn't think so, given the amount of bad publicity that this would generate.
You'd think that, and yet, I give you the case of Hakeem Muhammad Haleem.

Hakeem Muhammad Haleem, at the time in 2016, was 77. He was partially blind and deaf, had diabetes, suffered from a heart condition and had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.
He faced being sent thousands of miles away from his family after the Home Office ruled that he had to return to his homeland.
Since 2010, he had lived with his son, daughter in law and granddaughter in Oldham following the death of his wife, but was refused a visa due to a change in the law in 2012.
Before then, settled UK residents could be joined by parents or grandparents over 65 if financial and living support could be provided, which was the case with Mr Haleem. The change in the law stated that this could only now be the case if long term care  in their own country was more expensive or non-existent. Therefore the family's application was denied, as well as a bid to appeal the decision, despite Mr Haleem having been a British subject and his father holding a British passport.
Thankfully, The Manchester Evening News took up the case and once the story began to get national attention, the Home Office reversed their decision.


So to the future and what can we do as  an organisation to help?


As these stories are gaining more and more publicity and public outrage at the way these individuals have been treated is quite high, there seems to be a willingness to stop these kind of scandals from re-occurring. So how do we do this?



Throughout our sector, there may be tenants that have been affected by the Immigration Acts of 2014 and 2016. We should try and work closely alongside them and liaise with Home Office departments to find out what paperwork and documentation is needed so that unlike Renford McIntyre, they don't end up sleeping rough on the streets they used to live on.
We could look at finding out where the local BME groups are and having a representative on them, as we do in Gloucester with the quite superb Donovan Kelly.
It is part of our core beliefs that we value our customers, make a difference and  help foster vibrant communities and this is an issue where we may be asked to rise to that challenge. I believe that we are more than capable and as long as we build great teams that communicate effectively, then we should be able to help our tenants avoid some of the pitfalls that you have read about.
From a dementia point of view, we are part of the Gloucester Dementia Action Alliance and also I will be holding a Dementia Friends session with the Oxford team at the end of May. I'll also be promoting Dementia Awareness Week next week, which coincides with this blog.




Special Thanks


I would like to say a big thank you to Donovan Kelly and Rupert Redway for providing me with evidence, pointing me in the right direction and generally being a sounding board in the creation of this blog piece. Could not have written this without you.

De Hogeweyk - The future of Dementia Villages

Hi All,


I hope you're all keeping well and that you enjoy the festive season that will soon be upon us. I would recommend shares in Gaviscon from Boxing Day onwards.


This month I would like to talk about my visit to De Hogeweyk in the Netherlands that took place in early November of 2017.


For those that don't know about De Hogeweyk, get ready to take the guided tour. I will be discussing the architecture, the philosophy and some of the amazing stories that make up this ground breaking project.


De Hogeweyk itself

De Hogeweyk is a gated village for people with advanced dementia and is situated in the city of Weesp, which is about 2 miles outside the frontiers of Amsterdam. This is the reception area when you first arrive and is the first point of entrance into De Hogeweyk. Unassuming in design, it could be the front entrance into any building situated in this area. As you walk into reception, there is a large waiting area with a reception desk and then another set of double doors take you into the world of De Hogeweyk. My guide on this tour was the delightful (if slightly underprepared for the cold weather), Iris Van Slooten.

After re-locating to the bar area, and introducing my genial host in the ways of making the perfect cup of tea, we spoke about the conception of De Hogeweyk and how this inspirational project had first come into being. As often is the case, it sadly came through personal experience.

Yvonne van Amerongen and another member of staff from a  traditional nursing home had one of their parents die. Being glad that their parents had died quickly and had not had to endure hospital like care, they began to research and put together some brain storming sessions, they decided that people generally liked to surround themselves with like-minded people of similar background and experience. This provided the concept on which De Hogeweyk is founded. Yvonne Amerongen is now one of the directors of Vivium, the government owned company that runs De Hogeweyk.

The Concept

The founders of De Hogeweyk looked at the different lifestyles that were enjoyed by members of the Dutch community and separated them into 7 lifestyle choices.

These were :

1. The Artisan Lifestyle

These tend to be people who are proud of their trade. They are plumbers, carpenters, etc and the love of their trade is a well loved topic of conversation. Quite a homey atmosphere with a solid and traditional feel. Traditional Dutch food is enjoyed by this lifestyle. A traditional Artisan interior at De Hogeweyk has this appearance

2. The Christian Lifestyle.

Religion is very important to this lifestyle. Praying, saying grace and listening to religious music is often practiced. Many of these residents visit church regularly. The Christian lifestyle is reserved and traditional Dutch food is served.

A traditional Christian interior at De Hogeweyk would have this appearance

3. The Cultural Lifestyle

Art, culture and literature are important in this lifestyle. The residents enjoy reading books or newspapers and go out to the theatre, museums and concerts.

Food wise tends to start with a generous breakfast, a light lunch and the evening meal is a grand affair with lots of bonhomie and the regaling of various stories.

A cultural interior at De Hogeweyk would have this appearance.

4. The Gooise Lifestyle

The Gooi area of the Netherlands is associated with posh people and the aristocracy. The residents in this lifestyle appreciate correct etiquette. They will tend to attend classical music concerts. They are usually regularly visited and enjoy high tea and well presented food. There is a penchant for French cuisine and these residents will regularly go out for dinner. A regular Gooi interior at De Hogeweyk would look like this

5. The Homey Lifestyle

Caring for others in a familial way is important to these residents. They are more likely to join in with peeling and washing potatoes and interact well with the staff team. I was very lucky to meet this group on my visit and after some subtle bribery of cherry cake, spent a lovely 15 minutes in the company of these residents. They tend to like board games and traditional Dutch fare. The interior design for residents in the Homey lifestyle at De Hogeweyk would look like this

6. The Indonesian Lifestyle

Keywords are tradition, nostalgia and respect for yourself and others. Memories of Indonesia are peppered amongst the décor of the interior and this is re-enforced with DVD's and pictures. Trips to the Asian market (Pasar Malam) and the Indische social club tend to be the activity base, whereas food is mainly Indonesian based. A typical Indonesian lifestyle would look like this

7. The Urban Lifestyle

These tend to be more socially extrovert characters. They enjoy a vibrant atmosphere with activities including zoo trips, amusement parks, swimming pool and the theatre. Tend to enjoy eating meat and potato dishes and with each other. A typical Urban lifestyle at De Hogeweyk would look like this

So that's the different lifestyles but what does De Hogeweyk offer that other conventional villages do not?

Well, De Hogeweyk has been specifically designed as a pioneering care facility for elderly people with dementia. The benefit of using all day reminiscence therapy, compared to traditional care homes is that the residents are more active and require less medication. Carers, doctors and nurses work around the clock to provide the 152 residents with the necessary 24 hour clock.

The doctors, nurses and carers aim to make the experience as real as possible for the residents. Residents shop at the supermarket and assist with preparing and cooking food as they would at home. The carers wear normal clothing rather than clinical clothing and fit into a role that the person with dementia would feel most comfortable with; in the working class households, the carers would be seen as neighbours or carers, whilst in the aristocratic/upper class setting, the carers act akin to slaves.

The living styles have different types of music playing, significantly varied interior design, food and methods of table setting. Residents in each house have their own large bedroom and meet with other residents to share the living room, kitchen and dining room. There are no locks on the doors, and residents are free to walk or cycle around the village, including choosing to visit the supermarket or café.
The village employs 250 staff.
To maintain the fake reality/hyper-reality that those at Hogewey are comfortable with, the staff are instructed not to correct the residents as they talk about memories, background and history. At the same time, the carers will not deceive the patients if directly asked, stating that the residents are in a place that can deliver the care that they require.


So that's what the village does differently form everywhere else but let's be honest a picture is worth a thousand words so here's a little collection of photos I have called The Bike Tour that give you an idea of what's behind the doors at De Hogeweyk.

This is just a taster of the exterior of the building. The interior isn't too shabby either. Take a look at the concert hall that sees classical concerts and plays put on featuring some of Holland's top musicians.

 

 

A Soldier's Story

When I was about to leave De Hogeweyk, I noticed a frail old man picking up litter in by one of the gardens. I asked Iris if this was part of his daily routine and Iris informed me that his previous job had been as a park warden in one of Amsterdam's parks and that picking up the litter gave him a sense of purpose. Iris then laughed and recounted a story about this old gentleman.

De Hogeweyk was being visited by the Queen of Holland (her mother has dementia, so it's something she is passionate about). The gentleman in question, it transpired, had been part of the Queen's Protective Guard on the day that she had got married. There was a little trepidation amongst the staff, as the old soldier's language could be a bit on the fruity side, and they were concerned that he might upset the Queen.

On the day of the visit, the former soldier was one of the main group to meet the Queen. Resplendent in his uniform, when it came to his turn to meet the Queen, he introduced himself and informed the Queen of the day he had been part of her Protective Guard. The Queen recognised him and they spoke for five minutes about how he was getting along and his experiences at De Hogeweyk. As soon as the five minutes had expired, the former soldier and Queen's Guard stood back in line and let the Queen continue on her way. This was because his training had taken over and he knew the Queen was on a tight schedule. There were no incidences of improper language being used.

This struck me as a rather apt way to remember that people with dementia have some amazing stories to tell if we take the time to listen. In this one I saw a frail old man turn into a proud soldier and defender of his Queen. Certainly food for thought.

Well that sums up my visit to De Hogeweyk. If you ever get a chance, I'd highly recommend that you pop in for a visit. You really will meet some amazing people.

Until next time....