Writer of ‘Happy Days ~ A Shared Journey’ and dedicated to bringing Happy Days creative projects to fruition, I am passionate about interactive resources, activities, conversation and memory prompts to help carers, volunteers, families and friends provide enriched care whilst sharing enjoyable moments for elderly people or people living with dementia. Participating in the smallest activity can help people maintain skills, sustain movement, provide opportunity for expression and boost enjoyment of everyday life. Staying part of the on-going-ness of life may encourage a more positive sense of self and enhance well-being.
Always turning negatives into positives, I’m a firm believer that it’s never too late to learn, re-learn or re-understand life around us. Studying for a degree in English Literature and Linguistics and an MA in Creative Writing, I recognised the connection between writing and expressing emotion; how triggering memory through visual reminders could evoke clear recollections of events and experiences from the past.
A wide range of social activities for enriched interaction; meaningful conversation for well-being are being developed regularly. Licensed resources for frontline carers and volunteers are available for residential, assisted living and domiciliary care environments. Memory prompts to initiate interaction are ideal for day centres, hospital volunteers and home visits to help carers enrich visits through a shared social interaction.
At Happy Days, we want to help people live well with dementia. We also want to help carers enjoy their time shared with the person they are caring for. If carers feel good, this will reflect onto the person or people being cared for. We don’t leave you alone, wondering how to use our materials or working out what to say. That’s why our materials include a conversation prompt card and where necessary, we include carer guides too.
We also provide:
Product Familiarisation Training
I run Social Interaction workshops for Carers and Volunteers, spend much time writing and designing new books, activities and products and take part in various volunteer roles. I am a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, an active member of two writing groups and write poetry.
Helping to make a difference is paramount to me.
Company ~ Happy Days Publishing Limited ~ the umbrella company specialising in social prompts for well-being incorporates the following:
We want to help people live as well as possible with dementia ~ That’s why most of our products include conversation prompts and/or replica memorabilia and carer guides.
Because we have carried out extensive market research, finding out what people really need, want or would enjoy, we feel certain our tried and tested materials and resources will help carers to enrich social care, create meaningful interactions, encourage a sense of fulfilment and shared enjoyment for well-being.
Please contact me anytime to discuss how nostalgic environments can help people live well with dementia.
This is what we do at Happy Days to help enrich social care for elderly and people living with dementia:
‘The dementia Activity Trolleys and Communication Boards provide that much needed interaction with patients of memories to reminisce with, helping them relax and provide positive social interaction with the staff and volunteers. Having them now in our A&E departments will be especially helpful to provide a therapeutic approach to care.’
‘Gillian has provided superb workbooks to help our carers. She is passionate about providing top quality products and offers a friendly, flexible and creative approach from start to completion’
Thanks for all your effort and patience regarding our demands. Your delivery was extremely well organised, especially all the plans; the material was overwhelming, beautifully put together and we are 150% satisfied. It was joyful to look at all the wall art and displays you put together for us and the homes are beginning to look more like a dementia care homes.
Terri Vaselli, St. Aidan’s College of Technology – Student Support Centre
‘We have used Happy Days Publishing’s resources to support students in school who have faced some challenges with their emotional wellbeing and behaviour. The worksheets are easy to use and helped to promote discussions with students who sometimes found it difficult to talk about the daily challenges they face. Happy Days Publishing were able to create some bespoke sheets suitable for our school and offered an efficient and friendly service. I would highly recommend their emotional literacy products to other educational settings.’
Delighted to see Happy Days Nostalgic Rooms on Granada Reports. See and hear about how St. Luke’s Care Home uses themed rooms to help residents engage in social activity for well-being.
We can help people to live well with dementia by ensuring they eat a nutritious diet and continue to engage in everyday skills and activity where possible.
Keeping active helps to boost blood flow.
Assisting people living with dementia to maintain everyday skills will help keep a person remain engaged, relieve boredom and provide a sense of self-worth.
Prompting the long term memory can provide topics for meaningful conversations and can bring about happy memories and stories to share and enjoy.
Observing body language and repeated behaviour may help us to recognise signs of needs or wants.
Let the person help with tasks if possible.
