TV star Paul drops in at the Eva Burrows Centre
Cambuslang’s Eva Burrows Centre appeared on national TV at the weekend when comedian Paul O’Grady paid a visit.
The feature was part of the BBC’s ‘Paul O’Grady: The Sally Army and Me’ series.
Liverpudlian Paul spent a day with manager Sandra Sneddon, working as a volunteer at the Salvation Army facility, which provides specialised support to older people with dementia and their families.
He chatted with users of the service and was amazed to see the centre’s innovative rem reminiscence room. This has been furnished to look just like a typical living room from the 1940s to tap into memories from the past.
In emotional scenes that went on air on Sunday night, Paul spent time with Georgie McNellie, from Cambuslang, who suffers from advanced dementia.
He also chatted with her family, granddaughter Claire and daughter-inlaw, Marie.
Explaining the work they do at Eva Burrows, centre manager Sandra said: “The aim of our centre is to make people happy, to make people laugh, to enjoy life as much as they can. We have got to make people’s journey with dementia as fulfilling as it can be.”
She added: “We have got to see past dementia and that is part of our job. There’s always ways of communicating with someone. We can always get through to someone.”
After helping Georgie wash some dishes and enjoying a quick song, Paul met with Claire and Marie.
In heartbreaking scenes, Claire described what it is like to care for a family member who no longer recognises her, saying: “It’s hard, but I am going to make sure I keep that relationship because she’s my gran.
“I go and see her nearly every day and she does not know who I am, she just thinks I’m a carer. she does not know anymore. It’s really, really difficult.”
After enjoying a dance with service users, Paul heaps praise on the centre and the families of those suffering dementia.
Admitting it is one of his worst nightmares, he says: “They’re such lovely people. We don’t look after the elderly in this country, we don’t treat them with enough respect.
“They are seen an doddery old people who go down the street with a zimmer frame.
“They could have been a spy in the war, you don’t know what they have done, they could have had remarkable lives and we tend to dismiss them and that is wrong, so lets get it sorted.”
The centre, which is run in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council, was chosen to appear on the programme for its expertise in dementia care, having been named the best Salvation Army centre in the UK and Ireland in 2010 and 2012. Sandra was also crowned centre manager of the year in 2014.
Afterwards, Sandra, who cares for her own dad who has Alzheimer’s, said she would be happy to employ the star at the centre, adding: “Hopefully he got a real understanding of what we do here.
“He had a chat with one of the social workers and as a former social worker himself really understood the multiagency partnership working that is involved.
“It was a lot of fun but it was also serious and emotional at times.”