A visit to the Blind Veterans centre in Llandudno

Staff from the North Wales Society of the Blind visited a home for blind veterans in Llandudno.

The Blind Veterans centre was established in Llandudno in 2012.

Our Society has a close relationship with the centre.

Men and women who are blind or who live with sight loss and are former members of the armed forces can stay at the centre over different periods of time.

They have the opportunity to learn how to live independently or receive training to cook, use a white stick or learn to use technology, for example.

The centre has 40 bedrooms for visitors as well as several lounges, a gym, training kitchens, IT rooms and a woodwork and art workshop.

There are hoists in most of the bedrooms.

People come from all over the United Kingdom to stay with space for around 60 people at a time.

The home was established to serve soldiers who have served the British armed forces.

Short and longer holidays are offered to members and their partners or carers or other family members.

All the members could see before they lost their sight in different wars.

The home has wide doors and corridors with handrails along each wall with the members walking on the left and the staff on the right.

Centre manager Kathy Boardman explained that the centre's hope is to be of help to members very soon after they lose their sight.

Everyone from the armed forces can stay there as long as they have served for at least one day.

One of the nursing staff explained that they draw up personal care plans for each of the members and continuously check and update assessments.

Many of the members have different vision conditions or have diabetes, PTSD, walking problems or other health issues.

The centre offers experiences and trips for members such as hiking, mountaineering, sailing, driving, shooting etc. as well as cooking skills and learning how to use tools such as Alexa etc.

In some cases, the experienced staff are able to provide support on how to deal with grief due to sight loss.

The cost of staying at the centre varies and includes three meals a day, cups and cakes, trips and also transport to pick up and escort members to Llandudno in dedicated vehicles.

The cost of receiving nursing care during visits is additional.