PROFESSIONAL clowns have been visiting dementia patients in the Borders for almost 20 years – and now they have started video-calling.

The Elderflowers are a group of clowns who work with the Hearts & Minds charity, an organisation which uses clowning to help vulnerable people.

Maria Oller, known professionally as Sweetie-Pie, has been visiting Melburn Lodge, Melrose, since 2001.

Earlier this month, however, Mrs Oller spoke to patients using video-conferencing for the first time, following the ban on visitors due to coronavirus restrictions.

Although the exchanges were trickier than usual because of the technology, it has been chalked up as a success, according to Mrs Oller.

She said: “We’re still learning but the feedback from the ward was very nice and the staff are very keen.”

Mrs Oller, of Lasswade, explained that she and her colleagues are theatre clowns, rather than circus clowns.

This means the Elderflowers have more in common with Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton than with big-suited characters wielding water pistols, said Mrs Oller.

Nevertheless, the red nose remains a cherished part of the Elderflowers’ wardrobe.

“Some people don’t like it and that’s fine, but for most people it’s something playful,” Mrs Oller said.

The aim of visits is not necessarily to make residents laugh, however - the key goal, according to Mrs Oller, is simply to instil a “good feeling”.

Music and props are regularly used to enliven conversation with patients, who have become very familiar with the Elderflowers through the weekly encounter.

Mrs Oller said: “The reason we visit regularly is we get to know them - we become part of the furniture of the ward there.

“And in some of the ladies’ and gentlemen’s rooms, there are pictures of Elderflowers next to the family photos.”

The affection goes two ways, according to Mrs Oller, who regards her job as a “privilege”.

She said: “I would say they give me as much as we give them, if not more.

“The wisdom is still there and the long life they’ve lived and their experience is still there, even if they can’t communicate.

“There can be short moments when the ladies and gentlemen are absolutely clear. It’s a rewarding job.”

Since moving from her native Finland more than two decades ago, Mrs Oller has enjoyed learning more about her adopted culture by speaking to older Scots.

She said: “For me, it was so important to get to know the older generation, because when you know them, you get to know why society is working the way it is today and for me to have that connection has been really important.”

Melburn Lodge’s senior charge nurse Jill Kirk described the first video session as a major success.

She said the Elderflowers “brighten up everyone’s day”, adding: “They really do make a positive difference to all our general well-being.”