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A Filo Day

A Filo day is a day out with friends.  People are able to pursue their interests and draw on what they can still do and enjoy.
 
The day starts in the morning with the host collecting group members one-by-one from their homes. The car journey helps people settle and gently ease into the day ahead.
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Lunch is an anchor point to the day, nourishing in more ways than one, offering an opportunity for the group to help prepare or simply gather around the table to share a meal and chat.  
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Once assigned to a group a client attends on the same day with the same host and same group members every week. This socialising with a regular, small circle of similar companions underscores the potency of our model. 
 
A Filo day runs between the hours of 10am - 4pm, Monday to Friday.

A man with grey hair plays harmonica to a dog whilst another man looks on
An older woman with grey hair kisses the hand of a younger woman with dark hair.
A young woman with blonde hair talks to an old man with grey hair, at the dinner table

Why does it work?

Groups are deliberately small so a session feels like a warm catch up with friends where everyone is welcome and can contribute. 
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The structure sounds deceptively simple, yet it houses a day full of richness and meaning. No specific activities are prescribed, the flow of any session is dictated by the preferences, capacities and personalities of the individuals within the group. What occurs within each group is unique to each group, just as with any group of friends. However the overarching activity upon which we lay particular emphasis is socialising; this is the magic ingredient. The soft power of peer support, sharing experiences and eating together.  Our expert hosts deftly and gently work to integrate and include clients within their groups through whatever means are appropriate. 
 
Clients' families report improvements in their loved ones’ wellbeing, increased motivation, improved appetite and being more relaxed after a Filo day. Clients are with us for an average of two years, delaying the need for them to be admitted to residential care and easing hospital admissions and discharges.

Two men with gey hair prepare dinner together
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