Primrose: an Alzheimer’s Society branch on wheels

James Feeney, Dawn John and Christina Maciejewski describe the work of the Alzheimer’s Society Cardiff Carers’ Bus

The Cardiff Carers’ Information Support and Wellbeing bus, also known as Primrose, was launched in April 2007. It is designed to be an Alzheimer’s Society ‘branch on wheels’, and to support carers of people with dementia in a holistic way. The Primrose bus visits 16 different sites each month, including leisure centres, church grounds, shopping centre car parks, and community centres, and aims to break down the barriers which lead to service non-use. The front of the bus offers a cosy place for carers to sit, have a cup of tea, and chat on a one to one basis. They can also access a wide range of books and leaflets giving details on local services. The rear of the bus has been converted into a complementary therapy treatment space where reflexology, Indian head massage and other treatments are carried out by qualified professionals. The article describes the benefits of offering these complementary therapies and the positive feedback from service users.