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dementia, communities & environments

Our Creative Spaces in the Community project is using the outdoors and nature-focused activities to build social networks, foster independence and enhance the physical and mental health of older people living with dementia in rural communities in Cornwall.

We'll be using this section as a place to generally share our thoughts on dementia and those it affects, including relevant projects, events, activities etc. If we've read it, written it, seen it or heard it and we think it should be 'out there' then here's where we'll share it.






Nuns and neighbourhoods

A couple of snippets of information that I'd like to share today; otherwise I'll forget and it'll be weeks before I remember again!

The first is all about the Big Care Home Conversation.  This is an opportunity for you to provide your thoughts on what's great about living in a care home today, what could make it better and how that could be achieved.   The information is being gathered on the My Home Life website. Their aim is to use the comments provided by people with dementia, carers, relatives, friends etc to influence our government in the decision-making process of delivering good quality care in residential care/nursing homes.  Click the link HERE and follow the instructions. Take some time whilst you're there to read the leaves already on the tree; there are many that talk about providing residents with increased, meaningful social interaction and greater involvement in decision-making within the home, better training for staff and making the most of volunteers.  Sounds similar to our aims in Creative Spaces to me!

Whilst you're here, take a moment to read this e-newsletter from Richard Taylor.  I heard him talk at the ADI Conference in London earlier in March.  He's a straight talker and very passionate about raising awareness of dementia, of sharing information and ideas globally. In this e-newsletter Richard has included several interesting articles. Not that he hasn't in previous e-newsletters, but there were several articles in this one that I found particularly relevant to this project and the work of the Sensory Trust.

There's the research previously undertaken of a group of nuns living in a convent in Minnesota; many living into their 90s and even 100s+  (I'm just off to find a local convent); an award-winning poetry project used to facilitate the creativity of people with dementia (that sounds familiar) and finally a piece about poor design principles that have negative impacts on neighbourhoods, isolating older people in their communities and reducing opportunities for social interaction (a topic very close to the hearts of everyone here at the Sensory Trust).


Wendy
Creative Spaces Project Manager