At Haruhi-en Niho

He bought a new shaver, by his salary of, his specialty, sharpening kitchen knives.

When he was using his shaver the day before, he said “ouch!” So I checked the shaver and found the blade had a crack the day before.

Well, he needs to buy a new one… Oh, he’d saved enough amount of money to buy new one! “Why don’t you buy new one by your own savings?” After all, He got a new one as I proposed.

It is not special to buy what you want by your own salary. A bit of help enables people with dementia to do the same as we do.

At Haruhi-en Niho

The video which had been recorded the other day was broadcasted on 24th, this month, on which you could see our residents working outside our grouphome.
The male resident, the major character, gave us a good smile when he saw himself sharpening knives on the TV program, though it was a dinner time.
The female resident who was on it also gave us a big smile.
Actually, this kind of surprise bring them a good refreshment.
We’d like to try to put their abilities to use more and more to enrich their daily lives.

By Yamamoto

Ms. Y got some money in her savings box.
It is a good sound to shake the box.
It is precious money that she got by working at Production Unit.
She said “I want to work and get more money to eat out (to eat Udon).”
I wish the day come soon.

Our residents joined the part-time workers at Kazami to make lunch for the customers today as well.

Well, still on probation, but –

To work and get paid is to make our residents tied with the society, to feel tied to the society, and to feel needed in the society.

Half an hour, an hour work – don’t matter.

To work and get paid make them feel self-efficient, that is, feel confident.

“I feel very bad at bothering my family financially.”

Some of our residents live in our facility, feeling small like this.

Well, what about their working and getting paid?

To work and get paid.

We’ve have worked with them and understood that they could work at the place other than group-home for the dementia with a bit of support.

After all, we’ve kept the people with dementia away from the society, because of their symptoms, and their being in such facilities?

How would it go, if they were tied to the society, and they worked and got paid to buy their own things or to reduce their families’ financial burden?

Are they too old to work and get paid?

Nay, many think they are worthy of it!

It seems even rude for them to play housekeeping at group-home or other facilities, keeping them away from the society.

We hear such conversations like this;

“I’ve got to get interviewed and employed.”

“I’ve never ever got paid! What’s going on!?”

Well, That’s the way they feel.

“We can do it better!”

“We want to do it more!”

I guess we’ve made light of their possibilities.

Of course, the rules of society are very tight.

Different from those of group-home, here they have to keep up with the other part-time workers.

They focus to try their best, and accomplish their job in a tensed mood, however.

It brings them a good sense of accomplishment.

“Wow! You are really good at dishing up!”

(That’s true. She arranged boiled fish pastes sideways. She wouldn’t think as we do. Far from stereotypes like us. She would only arrange them as they really look nice.)

“Oh, great! I will bring my kitchen knives next time. Why don’t you sharpen them?”

(Well, he practiced much more than us. He is much better with hands than us!)

“It was fun!” “I was so busy, but it was fun!” “Would you take us there again?”

They said to me in car on the way back to our group-home.

How come working motivates them like this?

They spent time with good smile all afternoon, though they’d forgotten working there in the morning.

To feel efficient and appreciated by working and helping people, would be one of the best medicines for all of us, isn’t it?

at Haruhi-en Tsuwano

by Yamamoto

The three of our residents who are good with hands give a help to the staffs of Production Section when they harvest a lot of shiitake mushrooms.

The staffs are always surprised that they’re done with it very fast and finely.

They say, “It’s worth doing!” They seem to expect much more fun!

By Hattori

We’ve got a bunch of vegetable we’d never seen.

“Looks nice. How do you cook this?”

“Oh well, no idea.”

We did not figure out even its name.

“Why don’t we boil it?” That’s the best way for this kind.”

We made its salad with vinegar and miso, and fried it with meat.

It was a bit slimy but mild and smooth.

A few days later, our neighbor told us its name was ‘Urui’.

At Haruhi-en Tsuwano

by Yamamoto

Ms. Y and I went to visit jizo to pray, the other day. After that, we found butterbur, horsetail, and bracken around there.

Then I found poppy anemone too! It’s stem was about 15 centimeters high. Pure white lovely flower was in bloom on the top.

The flower has been getting more rarity value, as it decreased.

It was very nice to see the flower♪

Surrounded by rich nature, we enjoy picking wild vegitables of springtime.
Started with Japanese butterbur scapes, we can get Japanese parsley, mugworts, horsetails, towny daily lilies, and more around here.
We will soon have bamboo shoots, coil springs, bracken, fatsia sprouts as it gets warmer.
Our residents talk about how to eat them and they make Japanese tofu and Japanese parsley salad dressed with white miso, tempura, dishes boiled with soy sauce, boiled ones and so on.
We enjoy having a variety of dishes of wild vegetables every single day.

At Haruhi-en Tsuwano

We tried a traditional way of sweeping out dust around the porch and a Japanese-style room by using scattered used wet tea leaves today. Our residents used to do it at their houses in those days. It surprised me a lot. We swept the floor to gather the tea leaves and the dust adhered to the used wet tea leaves. We could gathered the dust very well. Thanks to the traditional way of cleaning!

At Haruhi-en Tsuwano

Imoni party (stewed potato party) was held on a large scale in Tsuwano town on October 16, which is one of the three most famous imoni parties in Japan.

We also held Haruhi-en’s imoni party, the other day. One of the residents who knows a lot about cooking told us how to make it.

Stuffs for imoni are taros, roasted sea bream, soy sauce, salt, and sake which is cooled after heated once. During boiling, Ms. M and Ms. Y advised us not to season it highly with soy sauce and salt. Ms. M had a sip and said “beyond description.” We enjoyed its refined tastes with a flavor of sea bream. We’d like to cook and enjoy traditional dishes here more.