Lightening the Load

15/04/2025

🥳A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO OUR WONDERFUL TEAM🥳!

😃Someone pretty high up in the provision of older people's services in the area has just virtually begged us to expand our service saying "there is nothing else out there like your service!" They went on to say:

"your service helps keep people out of hospital, it helps the mental health of your clients and their families, it gives families a rest. It's all about keeping people stimulated and active. It is so needed!"

🎵 It was absolute music to my ears to hear that someone so responsible for older people's' services gets it and gets what we are about.

🥰I've had to explain that we want to keep our business small because it is the tiny personal details that make us so unique!🥰

We are often described as that extra family member. What we do is all about having the customer at the centre of everything we do going over and above often!

🥳Well done to our amazing team - I cannot explain in words how gushing this person was about our service today!🥳

Fran and the Team ☺️

02/04/2025

🎉 CELEBRATION!🥳

❤️Today we are celebrating supporting our 65th customer! As with all our customers, we provide them and their families with a very, special unique, tailor made service to put meaning, purpose, companionship and friendship back into their lives!

🥰Our fabulous, skilled and experienced team of 8, have so much natural empathy and kindness for all of our customers. They have an amazing ability to build trust and long lasting relationships with our customers who do nothing but look forward to their visits!

☺️We have had this wonderful feedback today:

"We are so pleased you are a small business that can give the individual care and attention to our mum in the same way we would!"

We will always have the interests of your loved ones at the heart of everything we do! 🥰

If you would like more information about our very special service, please feel free to call or email for a no obligation, friendly chat:

Email: [email protected]

Or

Private message using the message icon above

Or Tel/Text: 0787 404 2416

Website: lighteningtheload.org.uk

26/03/2025

❤️Our wonderful team at Lightening the Load support our customers to grow older in the way they should be - with respect, with value, with time, with dignity, with a listening ear, with kindness, with compassion, with empathy, with understanding, with trust, with friendship.

🥰These special qualities create feelings of safety, reassurance and security for our customers. We pride ourselves in continuity of service and consistency.

No strangers turning up at anyone's door! Ever!

If you would like more information about our service, please feel free to contact us for an informal, friendly chat:

Tel: 0787 404 2416

Or

Please send a private message clicking the "Message" icon above

Or

Please email us at: [email protected]

Website: lighteningtheload.org.uk

Aging is not an affliction
It's not a disease we should cure
It isn't a foe or an enemy,
A battle we have to endure

It's not something we have to fight against
Despite what we might have been told
It's a gift that's denied to so many
Who would love to be here growing old

*****

Becky Hemsley 2022
Joyful artwork by Jonas Peterson

A little reminder for us all today.
From my fourth collection https://a.co/d/hoKxs0D

11/03/2025

❤️We had this lovely feedback from a daughter. Her dad is looking after her unwell mum. The daughter rang a few organisations to gather information about what support her dad could get:

"We have 'the meeting' with my dad this week. So that will be interesting I'm sure. I'm hopeful we may be able to start putting some plans together then. Do please stay in touch as I have to say you are far superior to all of the other companies I've checked out!"

My own dad would have been 95 yesterday! This was him in the photo,
on the left, in 1935!

He was fiercely independent and he found it hard to accept he needed companionship and support. Conversations have to be handled very carefully often to engage our older parents in taking on external support. It is far better when people can choose what support they want before a crisis hits - when this happens, people are then often forced to accept what help is given and choice can often be out of their hands!🥲

😍We wanted to be a different type of service to many out there! Often, we arrange with families to meet say a daughter/son first and then we can turn up to their older relative's house with them as a "family friend" for an initial visit. It makes the experience of having someone new coming into a house so much gentler and kinder. We never rush gradually getting to know someone. Building trust and friendship is everything!

🥰We never send strangers to deliver our sessions. We take 2/3/4 weeks, as long as it takes, to ensure our customers and there families are happy before we schedule in regular visits. We ALWAYS turn up on time and we pride ourselves in providing consistency and continuity.

🥲It is very scary having strangers visit your your house when you are vulnerable. It happens too often with some services and can be very traumatic.

🥰❤️We are unique and pride ourselves in that!

If you would like to chat about how we may be able to support you or a family member, please feel free to contact us:

Tel/Text: 0797 404 2416

Email: [email protected]

Private Message: please click the message icon at the top of this page

Website: lighteningtheload.org.uk

10/03/2025

❤️Here are some of the wonderful things our customers have been doing with us this week to help fill their days with some purpose and meaning!

In addition to these photos, the sunshine ☀️ has meant:

* Visits to cafes and garden centres too last week which always bring a cuppa and a cake stop too! ☕️ 🍰 😋

*Sitting out in the garden and spotting, flowers birds and 🦋 butterflies!

*A visit from Brian the WestiePoo to a customer who used to have a dog of their own! 🐾 🐶

We also regularly support some of our customers to ensure they do their daily seated exercises!🕺

🌺☀️We help our customers choose activities themselves, support them to do the activities and whilst doing them we weave in reminiscence, help them to maintain skills such as weighing out ingredients as well as learn new skills.

We encourage decision making and supporting our customers to find solutions during their activities.

All of this helps keep the brain active, encourages mobility and most of all gives companionship, friendship and encourages positive mental and physical wellbeing!🥰

04/03/2025

☀️🌺We have just spent a lovely 2 hour session with one of our customers who has Alzheimer's. Twice per week, we cover the customer's live-in carer so that they can have some time out.

🥰We spend much time finding that hook that engages each customer completely tailor made to their interests or past interests.

🌷Today, this customer used to do photography, love holidays in Wales, walking in nature and loved doing the garden. Sadly, they can no longer do what they used to. Seeing the flowers and bees sparked memories and conversation about photography and Welsh walking holidays for the customer. ❤️

They were so engaged in showing me which nature photos I could take today! ☀️ 🐝 🌺 The customer was so pleased with the images! 🥰

❤️It was such a lovely session!

If you would like to know a bit more about the fabulous unique team we have and the tailor made services we provide for your older family members, please feel free to contact us for an informal, friendly chat:

Tel/Text: 0787 404 2416

Email: [email protected]

Website: lighteningtheload.org.uk

25/02/2025

We currently have spaces at our day club, we offer a taster session for free.
If you know anyone who is struggling with their diagnosis we are here to help. We also support people who DON’T have a dementia diagnosis and everyone is welcome who feels they may benefit ♥️

10/02/2025

🥰This photo sums up everything we are about - at every opportunity, we do our best to tap into our customers' past and present interests. This helps put meaning into someone's day, helps stimulate cognitive function, brings about feelings of security and being valued, recognised and understood.❤️

*I have anonymised this post for reasons of confidentiality.

🥰This lovely customer with Alzheimer's was a teacher about 35-40 years ago. We brought some same subject matter to our session - the same as the customer used to teach.

At first the customer laughed and said "that was over 40 years ago", then lit up and went on to say, "come on we've got work to do" and proceeded to recite the alphabet twice and write down and read some of the letters.

😄☀️It was one of those amazing moments of realisation about how something from the past can bring so much joy inspite of life's daily challenges.

Also, on this same day, we ensured that the customer had eaten and drank, we talked about the birds, read the newspaper together and sang together to the Welsh male voice choir. 🎵

Whilst we were delivering this wonderful session, the customer's family member, who is the carer, was able to go out for a walk, get a drink in a cafe and enjoy some well deserved time out!❤️

📞 If you would like to know more about our services, please feel free to call or email for an informal, friendly, no obligation chat:

Tel/Text: 0787 404 2416

📧 Email:
[email protected]

Website: lighteningtheload.org.uk

01/02/2025

❤️AMAZING! WE ARE 4 YEARS OLD TODAY!

🥰Our extremely valuable and needed service, so far, has helped 47 customers, including couples, to put hope, meaning and purpose back into theirs and their families lives and we continue to do so.

❤️We provide continuity, trust, friendship, companionship and deliver cognitive stimulation activities tailor made to our customers own interests.

We were a team of two. We are now a team of 7! Our team are wonderful, very special people and are totally dedicated to our customers - they go over and above!

Our reputation has grown and grown - we wanted to provide something special and unique from the outset -
just as intended, we have filled that huge gap in services between someone needing no support and someone reaching crisis point.

❤️We provide that rare bit in between! Services like ours are hard to find - we were determined to close that gap. It's worked!

We have helped people with Dementia including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Stroke, mobility restrictions, end of life, visual impairment, other long term conditions that come with older age living...plus more!

🙏We would like to say a HUGE thank you to all of our customers, their families, our partnerships, referrers including Social Prescribing, various NHS and social care partners, voluntary organisations and community networks, for believing in our service as much as we do!

THANK YOU! ☺️

For more information about how we may be able to help, please do not hesitate to contact us for a friendly, no obligation chat:

Tel/Text: 0787 404 2416

Or

Message by clicking the Message icon at the top of this page

OR

Email:
[email protected]

Website: lighteningtheload.org.uk

10/01/2025

❤️The Lightening the Load team have every reason to be proud this week.

😀We cannot tell you how much feedback of praise the team has received this week - it's actually been quite humbly overwhelming.

🥳Not only have our customers and families expressed how happy and amazed they are at what we do, we have also had gushing compliments from various NHS services, the Council, private organisations and charity partners.

🥰Words cannot express what a fabulous job our team do providing our unique tailor made services to our customers.

❤️Our team are a life line to so many older people and families. They are very special, incredible people.❤️

For more information about how we may be able to help, please do not hesitate to contact us for an informal, friendly chat.

Tel: 0787 404 2416

Email: [email protected]

Or please use the Message icon at the top of this page.

Website: www.lighteningtheload.org.uk

(We also got complimented on our website this week!)

06/01/2025

😃Hello Everyone, Happy New Year!

🥳We will be 4 years old on the 1st February!

😃Our unique tailor made support services for older people have built a fantastic local reputation, receiving regular wonderful feedback from our customers and their families.

🥰We have supported so many older people across the area and helped put meaning back into their lives during this time.

☺️Our customers come from all walks of life. Some were lonely sitting out long days without seeing anyone day after day, some were bored, some have medical conditions such as Stroke, Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis, heart conditions, early/mid-stage Dementia including Alzheimer's plus lots more.

❤️❤️DID YOU KNOW? We see individual customers and couples - often, two older people looking after one another just need that extra bit of support in their lives to help them
get through their days.

We receive wonderful feedback about the positive difference we have made to lives - our customers and their families.

😍ABOUT US.....We are a team of 7 - kind, empathetic, compassionate, great listeners, professional, skilled, experienced, able to build long lasting trusting relationships and friendships, we can think on our feet, adapt to changing situations, we have emotional intelligence and common sense, we plan and tailor all of our sessions to match our customers interests and requests.

♥️We are often described as the extra family member when other family members can't be there. We are also the eyes and ears for our families! ❤️

😊We work alongside many other organisations - the main thing that matters to us is that our customers needs and wants are at the heart of everything we do!

CONTACT INFORMATION: If you would like more information and a friendly, no obligation chat, please call:

Tel/Text: 0787 404 2416

Or Email: [email protected]

For more information too, we also have a website:
www.lighteningtheload.org.uk

We also receive referrals from health professionals, Age UK, Social Prescribers, voluntary and private organisations, Social Care.

02/01/2025

29/12/2024

🥳We would like to wish all of our wonderful customers, their families and all of the other fantastic organisations we work alongside, a Very Happy 2025!

❤️2024 has been a year of doing so many things with our customers including:

Friendship, companionship, cognitive stimulation, laughing, chatting, singing, dancing, outings, armchair exercises, lots of tea and cake, garden centres, shops, looking through books, talking about and spotting the birds, Christmas activities, crafting, baking, preparing meals together, helping tidy out cupboards, helping with light household duties, choosing outfits, making appointments, going to appointments, attending events, attending social groups, tea in a garden, going to the hairdressers, organising and looking at photographs, reminiscing, helping wrap presents and write cards, sowing seeds, dog walking and visits, going to the library, choosing large print books together, ensuring medication, drinks and food have been had plus so very much more!

🥰We would love to hear from you if you would like to find out more about how we can provide you or a loved one with tailor made support.

😊Thank you for your continued custom. May 2025 be full of good health and happiness! 😄

🥰With Best Wishes from Fran and the amazing Lightening the Load Team where everyone's needs are always at the heart ♥️ of all we do.

Tel: 0787 404 2416

Or private message using the message link above

Or Email: [email protected]

Website: lighteningtheload.org.uk

29/12/2024