Three women, three perspectives, three stories. Olive, Sally and Eileen take us on an exploration of the impact of health, hospital and frailty.
"I'm still making cakes. I think I always will be really. It give me a great deal of pleasure, and means that I've still got a bit of skill... well, I don't turn out a bad thing."
How would you define frailty? Would you say you are frail? A label so often given to others, especially the elderly, but one that people rarely want to give themselves. Frailty can be seen as a continuum and hospitalisation is a time when we all move along all this scale.
The wider Frailsafe project - a national collaboration funded by the Health Foundation - set out to reduce accidents occuring during hospitalisation due to missed frailty. They worked with health care design team Lab 4 Living, of Sheffield Hallam University, to develop a check list to be used within the first 24 hours of admission.
How can we understand the impact of frailty on people? Lab 4 Living wanted a creative film-based exploration of these experiences to complement the new Frailsafe checklist, and to be part of professional learning as the tool is rolled out across the UK. We worked closely with them and a team of vivacious older people to brainstorm the concepts, and plan the filming.
Olive, Eileen and Sally's stories shone out and offered diverse perspectives upon this flexible nature of frailty. Join them as they bake a cake, pack a case and worry about the garden. Hear about their moments of frailty, contrasted with their inner strength and sense of pride.
"I hate it if they don’t look at you, if they’re looking out there and talking to you. I like them to admit that I’m there."