Mary Wilkinson

More care than ever is being provided in Scotland for an ageing population. We often talk of the challenges in delivering this provision for an increasing number of people, with pressures on budgets for home and residential care, and increasing time restrictions on staff providing this crucial service. None of us want to spend our […]

The sitting room had two large bay windows, one looked north over the fields and towards the hills, the other looked over the rose garden to the woodland beyond. The District Nurse always seated herself in the middle of the window with her back to the rose garden. She would never be bothered by too […]

The high-pitched scream echoed through the house, an anxious voice shouted, ‘What’s wrong?’ Hurried footsteps could be heard, including my own, heading towards the scream which had turned into a sustained wowl. ‘I’ve lost my marbles!’ weeped the three-year-old with petted lip and streaming tears. Panic over, gran asked where he had left them and […]

Late shifts always started differently to the morning shift. This summer had been warm and at times, sultry. Residents enjoyed the breeze from open windows, sitting in the wooden sun-house with cool drinks or ambling up the driveway, suitably behatted, followed by the golden retriever which found their pace just right for its own constitutional. […]

The Christmas lights were up, day care was festooned and glittering. Lunch with its crackers, silly jokes and paper hats and delightful trifle or Christmas pudding had been served. The members assembled on the semi-circle of comfy chairs. The boss and the chaplain were there. The pianist had arrived and was busy-ing herself at the […]

Mrs B. had buried her husband many years before I met her, petite and slim she had a smile that deepened the life lines etched on her face. A member of The Salvation Army (SA) church, she had the knack of always making you feel welcome irrespective of how busy she was. Bringing up three […]

Come January our televisions are flooded with images of shiny gyms and membership offers. Full page adverts are taken out across newspapers and magazines for Weight Watchers and Slimming World. Billboards and bus stops entice us with celebrity cook books and exercise regimes. Whilst it’s not unexpected to put on a few pounds over the […]

Written by Bob Rendall, Chairman Faith in Older People One of the great joys of my life has come as the consequence of working with key groups to set up projects that supported local people. The Stroke Club was set up with hands on support from a senior social worker. Members and their carers attended […]

Beautiful hearts I have always played music. It’s an important part of my life. Whether it’s doing a ceilidh for someone’s wedding at a boutique hotel, playing in church of a Sunday morning, or jamming with my ‘old guys’ band in some subterranean club in the city centre, I love it. It was therefore no […]

How FiOP helped my family Around eleven years ago my father, in his nineties, was failing and no longer able to say the daily office. As an Episcopalian priest this was part of his daily life & important to him. I asked FIOP if they could help me make a CD of Evening Prayer for […]