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Hello, I’m Abi. I work at Haulfryn, and I’m the Manager.
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We support people who have a diagnosis of dementia and other conditions.
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In the mornings, I come in to speak with the night team
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to see how people have been overnight.
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Throughout the day, I work with staff, professionals and the families
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of the people who live here.
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We support 22 people who have a diagnosis of dementia.
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Five of them have the ability to speak Welsh as their first language.
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It’s important for us to speak with them and provide their care in their first language.
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People living with dementia often return to their first language,
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and it’s important for us to speak with them in Welsh.
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I started my Welsh language journey two years ago.
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I spoke with Sandie from Social Care Wales
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about how I could make changes at Haulfryn.
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I assessed where people were speaking Welsh in Haulfryn
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and where the staff were at with their Welsh.
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I talked with them about the Welsh language and what I wanted to achieve in Haulfryn,
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and everyone was really supportive of that.
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I moved to Wales about 40 years ago and my first mission was to learn Welsh,
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and I never did.
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Eventually, when I came to Haulfryn, I got the opportunity right in front of me.
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So I said yes, I'll do it.
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I have learnt some basic words, basic sentences
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which I can share with the residents here.
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As I say, even 'bore da' the smile you get from,
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I'm thinking of one lady in particular, you get the smile and you get the hug.
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So it makes a huge difference.
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When I first started, there didn't appear to be many Welsh speakers
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or we didn't hear it as much.
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They were probably always there.
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But with going through this with Tryfan as well,
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who's been promoting it, also coming in and doing presentations
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in Welsh and English for the residents, not just for us,
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I've seen it, you know, it is improving.
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It's hearing it more and more.
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And I think there are people here who went to Welsh schools and can speak it
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and they're coming out of their shell a bit as well.
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I’ve had the chance to develop my Welsh here with Tryfan,
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who comes in to help other people develop their Welsh skills.
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Since I started working here, my Welsh has become loads better.
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I speak it more because at home, I don’t speak Welsh. My mum doesn’t
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speak Welsh, my dad doesn’t speak Welsh,
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but here I can use my Welsh, and it’s improved.
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I didn’t know I could speak as much Welsh as I can.
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We’ve done more activities in Welsh, we sing more in Welsh, and we’ve
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created different pieces of art that represent the people who live here in Haulfryn.
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What has helped us is the employer offer from Social Care Wales.
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What language did you speak when you were a child?
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Welsh, through and through.
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But I understood English quite quickly.
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Because before you had all this and that – televisions and things like that –
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I remember sitting in the kitchen,
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looking up at the big shelf where the radio was,
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listening to the English, and I was understanding it all.
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You know the care workers who come to support us,
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sometimes to live independently at home or in care homes,
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do you think it’s important for them to speak Welsh, Eirlys?
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That’s what they would do naturally, I think.
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If they were bilingual, they would use a bit of both.
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And I think it’s a good thing to go to them
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and speak in Welsh a little bit with them.
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I’m not saying they don’t understand, but it makes them happier, I think.
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The language is important to me.