Bob McKenna, 70, spent months refusing to leave his bed after arriving at Alexandra Court care home, until staff dug a little deeper and gave the former gas engineer a toolbag – and a bacon sandwich.
Visitors to Alexandra Court care home may notice a new handyman with a smile on his face and a paintbrush in his hand. But that man is actually one of the home’s residents, Bob McKenna, who loves nothing more than helping maintenance man Callum with a few odd jobs – as long as he gets a bacon sandwich on his break.
Until recently, Bob, 70, had been bedbound since his arrival at Alexandra Court in August 2023. He has vascular dementia and suffered a stroke not long before coming to live at the home. He didn’t leave his bed and was not interested in taking part in activities.
Then, earlier this year, the home started using a new approach called dementia mapping. The idea is to gain as much insight into a person’s life as possible and find out who they were before they started experiencing symptoms of dementia, and what their future goals may be.
Not too long ago, Bob would refuse to take part in the activities offered to him, would not be willing to be supported out of bed and refused to sit within the community lounges and dining rooms.
Bob has worked in many kinds of manual trades. He started helping the home’s maintenance team with little jobs around the building. He helped fix a sink and now, staff have cleared out a room for Bob to start painting. He even has his own tool bag, and maintenance man Callum brings Bob along on jobs that he is able to do. The pair like to spend their breaks eating bacon sandwiches.
Bob, who is from Hessle, said: “It’s beyond recognition. Just a couple of weeks ago I was immobile. And now, thanks to the staff here, I’ve changed beyond recognition. It’s not easy but I do it. From being immobile to being out and about you wouldn’t believe the change that has made to my attitude. I couldn’t be any happier. It has been great doing what I know best, and I can help Callum learn some new skills.”
Bob shared his previous employment history as a gas engineer with the team and spoke positively about the skills and experiences he had gained throughout his career. To support Bob’s interests and promote meaningful engagement, Callum and wellbeing coordinator Alex introduced Bob to an iPad where he watched YouTube videos and read blogs relating to plumbing, gas engineering, and general maintenance.
Bob became more engaged, focused, and alert throughout the day. Rather than spending long periods asleep in bed, he was interactive and began accepting support from staff to get out of bed and into his wheelchair, enabling him to participate in daily activities. Now, Bob enjoys trips to the library and has also joined a local gym, where he is working with a personal trainer and aims to learn to walk again.
Wellbeing coordinators Alex and Zoe have been a big part of the journey, working to get Bob back out doing what he loves. Zoe said: “We started off with his plumbing work and having trips to the library to get some books so he could catch up on all his skills. Then we came across a gym and we went for an induction. He’s been stuck in bed for months, and today he said within a year he’d be up walking with a zimmer frame. It’s been confirmed that that’s possible. This time next year he will be up walking. He’s just absolutely gleaming, he hasn’t stopped smiling all day. What an achievement.”
The home describes Bob as its greatest “success story” so far, and plans to use dementia mapping to gain a greater insight into all its residents who have the disease. Home manager Joycelyn Tskepo said: “As part of this dementia mapping process, Bob is part of our person-centred approach to care. We want to make sure everyone has meaningful engagement.
“We want to branch out to as many residents as possible and make sure their quality of life is the best it can possibly be. We see some people are struggling and through this process, we get to see that personality shine though. We speak to the residents, family, friends, to learn as much about them as we can. Then, we start trialling small, meaningful engagements. It’s not a big thing at first, it can start really small.
“It’s building on what they used to do in their lives. There’s a person behind the dementia and for me that’s really important. You’re still a person. We understand that a person didn’t always have dementia.
“Bob’s skills, strength, and determination are truly inspiring. It has been wonderful to see him regain a sense of purpose by doing something he enjoys, and equally wonderful to see the Alexandra Court team supporting him every step of the way to make this happen. These moments highlight the importance of person-centred care – listening to what is important to people and helping them achieve goals that bring meaning, purpose, and enjoyment to their lives.”
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