Pirates and Care Homes

So where to start my first blog post … well with PIRATES and CARE HOMES seemed as good a place as any.

I was recently listening to a radio programme which was discussing children’s literary characters and film figures that are pirates and what this evoked as an image – Hook (Peter Pan), Long John Silver (Treasure Island) and Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of Caribbean)  to name but a few.

So if I was to ask 100 people, just like in a Family Fortunes style, I am pretty sure that I would get a response somewhere along the lines of: Eye patch; Wooden leg; Polly the parrot; Jolly Roger; Sailing Ships; Sea shanties; “Argh Jim Lad”; certainly for me it all ends in a likeable rogue who can always bring a smile to your face when you speak like a pirate.

But this brings me onto what this set me thinking about.

This perception of the pirate characteristics above has been developed through childhood and adulthood with literature, films etc. however this perception is not how a pirate is in the here and now, is it? These are all images from a long time ago that we still hold as good today but you ask anybody who has been approached or has unfortunately been kidnapped by todays pirates, please ask Captain Phillips or Colin Darch (or the WI), these jovial characteristics are not an accurate portrayal of a pirate in the present.

So why did I say this first blog is on pirates and care homes, well this again got my thought processes continuing on perception and how that plays a huge part in how we feel, speak or even make informed decisions on what we perceive as true reflections.

So let’s do our Family Fortunes pitch again this time the question for our 100 people (with no direct link to the care industry) is What is the first thing that you think of when I say ‘Care Home’?  Again please afford me my views here, I would say a high majority would be – ‘Old people’, ‘Sitting around in winged chairs’, ‘Smelly’ (I actually had this said to me a couple of weeks ago) or ‘Abuse’ (due to recent press coverage).

As before with our wonderful pirates, this perception is not how Care Homes are in the here and now, is it?

I can’t say that it isn't still, in some small part, however there are amazing provisions within Care Homes that are not hitting the headlines or being held up for all to see for these perceptions or images for people to change.

This has to change!!!!! A hard process I know as we don’t do positive stories unless there is a huge back story (please reference X-Factor culture for this) however greater awareness and positive values can change perceptions. Even if this is just to break down some of those misconceived images and gets people to start thinking about care in a more positive way then this can only be a good thing right?

Please take time today to think – Are today's  pirates exactly how we see them? Are today’s Care Homes exactly as we see them?

I thank you for taking the time to read this first of what I hope will be many blogs in the future

“With hope and belief there are no limitations”

Stephen