A breath of fresh air

I had such a brilliant afternoon last Thursday; out on a walk with a family from the St. Dennis area. Organised as part of the project, we spent an hour wandering through the landscape around the village.  If you've only ever seen images of the china clay country around St. Austell you'd be forgiven for thinking the landscape we walked through was stark, full of grey clay tips and little vegetation.  Far from it!  We had amazing views from above the village, across valleys and fields, out towards the sea; wandered through small country lanes with hedgerows full of grasses and wildflowers and dappled in sunlight and strolled across lush green fields.

The family were initially a little unsure as to what to expect; what would the walk entail? where would we go? who was this strange chatty woman that was leading the group?!  But once I had introduced the children to “Spot Bob”, a game which kept them entertained looking for the tiny pink petals of the Herb Robert flower in the hedgerows and banks, then everyone relaxed into the walk. Occasionally you'd hear "There's Bob!" and "Here's another Bob!".  There were other things to discover on the walk too; stony, dry stream beds, animal water troughs and ripe blackberries also stimulated interest and conversation.

An hour and a half later a group of smiling happy adults and children were enjoying a well earned drink and a piece of cake.

Dany Brookes, Dementia Support Worker for Alzheimer’s Society in Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly was one of the walkers; she described the day:

“It was a lovely opportunity to get out and explore the local community with others.  Chatting about what we saw en route prompted my own childhood memories of similar walks with my grandmother and resurfaced previously dormant snippets of knowledge to share with the rest of the group.  We managed the walk easily considering our varied walking abilities and ages and hope other people will join future walks.  Dementia can impact on a person’s ability to recall memories and knowledge however our natural environment stimulates our senses and can provide an array of memory and conversational prompts. ”

We're looking forward to organising our next walk in the area now; perhaps in the autumn when the scenery will change again.  If you have dementia, or are affected by it and live in the china clay area around St. Austell (or in St. Austell itself) then please do come along and join us for an hour's stroll.

Wendy 

Creative Spaces Project Manager

Dementia roadshow in Cornwall

It's good to be able to help other organisations by promoting their events so this is just a quick post to let you know that the Alzheimer's Society in Cornwall is doing a road show this month. 

They will be at the following places

·         Perranporth Car Park on the Promenade, Beach Road, TR6 0JL.

      Saturday 16^th August from 10am-4pm

• Newquay Car Park, Fore Street TR7 1LP

Monday 18^th August from 10am-4pm

• Penzance Harbour Car Park, TR18 2GB.

            Tuesday 19^th August from 10am-4pm

Pop along if you'd like general information and advice on dementia, or perhaps are wondering where to get help  and local support.  There's no need to book and it's all free.

For further information, please contact Teresa Parsons or Shirley Mewton on 01872 277963 or email cornwall@alzheimers.org.uk

Wendy

Creative Spaces Project Manager

The Fear of Dementia

I recently read an article on the nursingtimes.net website, headlined Dementia 'more feared than cancer' by older patients.  

The article was about a recent poll in which 100 patients over 50 were asked which they feared the most: dementia, cancer, heart disease or diabetes.  The results suggested that two thirds of them were more frightened of dementia.

Could this be something to do with the fact that a cure still seems to be a long way off and we lack the 'we can beat this' attitude that is now more common with a cancer diagnosis?  Or perhaps because the media tends to focus on the negative aspects of dementia, which makes for more sensational headlines, or maybe that many people in society still don't know much about this disease and therefore fear what they do not know? Perhaps it's a little bit of everything.

Whilst  research into a cure continues and early diagnosis is actively promoted, we still have a responsibility to make life as great as possible for people currently living with dementia.  I believe that it's only by creating social opportunities for people with dementia, with their neighbours, young people, shop staff - basically anybody else living and working in their community - that we help to break down social and emotional barriers.  The more people communicate with each other, the more they learn and understand each other and the better and stronger their connections are.  Fear is replaced with acceptance and ignorance with knowledge.

So let's not forget the importance of supporting people affected by dementia using social and creative approaches.  It is in these situations that people are able to communicate with each other through shared experiences and where they feel valued and accepted by others and where others are able to gain greater insight into the impact of dementia on those it affects.

A community trip to Eden Project; participants created
Nature Palettes, tasted food in the Mediterranean Biome
& got to know each other a little better

Wendy

Creative Spaces Project Manager

Drop-ins, Memory Cafes and the start of something new!

June and July have been  busy months for Creative Spaces in the Community.

Our drop-in sessions in St. Austell, St. Dennis and Roche created useful links with people living in those communities; not just dementia carers but people in the community that I call 'connectors'. You know, those people who know almost everybody.  Through them we are connecting with local schools, health centres, NEET groups (young people not in education, employment or training), libraries (including community libraries and mobile library services) and community cafes.

our drop-in sessions in ClayTAWC, St. Dennis (top left), Rest & Play cafe, Roche
(top and bottom right) and St.Austell Library (bottom left)

Meanwhile our work with Cornwall's Memory Cafes continues; last month it was Saltash and Penzance (not on the same day thankfully........that would be some travel!).  This month I've been to Redruth and St. Ives and shortly Downderry. Memory Cafes are fun and taxing at the same time.  We've made Memory Postcards, Nature Scrapbooks, woven hazel baskets and hanging decorations (both part of our Weaving Tales activity).

top left: Nature Scrapbooks;  Top right: Memory Postcards;
bottom left and right: Weaving Tales

You concentrate on ensuring that people are getting the most out of the activity, supporting them when needed but at the same time it's just so enjoyable chatting with everyone and watching people engage with each other.  I always leave feeling shattered but with a smile on my face!

So what is there to look forward to next?  Well, following on from the drop-in sessions we'll be developing one or two small projects in St. Dennis and Roche, involving people with dementia, carers and community members.  The aim is to start these projects soon, run them for a couple of months and then review their level of effectiveness in helping people to feel healthy and happy.  More about those later.

We've also recently formed a group of dementia support providers with Age UK, Memory Matters South West, Alzheimer's Society and United Response, amongst others.  Our aim is to share our work together, find ways of working together and promote the benefits of creative social support for people affected by dementia through the health and social care sector in Cornwall.  Not much to say on that at the moment but I'm hopeful it will develop into a strong network of organisations.

Wendy
Creative Spaces Project Manager

Come and meet Creative Spaces

We're just about to embark on  a series of 'drop-in' style sessions in and around St. Austell.  It's important for us to be visible in our local communities so that people living with dementia at home, and their carers, become aware of the project and how it can support them to maintain socially active and healthy lives.

It's not always possible for carers and people with dementia to come to our community events; issues around transport and timing can often hinder opportunities to gather information on creative support.  So we're doing what we can to provide more of those opportunities.  You will find us on various days and times in St. Austell library, the Rest 'n' Play Cafe in Roche and the ClayTAWC building in St. Dennis, all throughout June.

If you live in and around St. Austell and are interested in coming along to find out more, you'll find all the information you need on the 'Events' page of this blog. You can always call the office if you have questions, contact details are also on the 'Events' page.

Let us support you to live a more socially active and healthier life.

Wendy

Creative Spaces Project Manager

Creative Spaces in the Community

What else would you do on a wet and windy Saturday but launch your dementia project?

That was us, a week ago, in an empty shop unit in St. Austell........and what a great day we had!

Joined by representatives from Age UK Cornwall and IOS, Memory Matters South West and St. Austell Memory Cafe, we had tables with information, guidance leaflets showcasing what each organisation could offer.  There were free cup cakes  and of course our lovely nature-based activities that people could join in - providing opportunity for conversation.  Our friend Jo, from Hedgerow and Herb, came along with a lovely selection of herb plants to smell, touch and taste and there was music and films going on in the background to help create a friendly atmosphere.

Despite the horrible weather, around 40 people dropped in that day. Most of them were unpaid carers, family members of people diagnosed with dementia, but we also had neighbours looking for information to help their friend and carer living next door and young people dropping in because a grandparent had dementia.  So, in addition to the project information and dementia support advice that was provided, the event turned out to be an interesting reflection of how much dementia affects our communities.

To find out more about our free activity downloads and dementia-related films you can go to our Creative Spaces page on our website HERE.

We'll be doing more localised events and workshops in and around the St. Austell area; helping people living with dementia in more rural areas through our Creative Spaces in the Community Project and then later in the year we'll be in and around Liskeard. As the project progresses it will extend into other areas of Cornwall over the next 4 years.

B-looming Marvellous!

Just look at what we were up to last Friday - you can't keep us away from all these dementia/memory loss events!  This one was organised by Age UK Cornwall and was well attended throughout the day.  We set up an area where we could provide activities and have an opportunity to chat with people about what kind of support/social interaction they had in their communities.

Other conversations were based around reminiscing about places, people, work etc.  If someone was at ease, chatting with us and being creative, their carer would take the opportunity to spend a little 'me' time wandering around, getting coffee, having a massage themselves; we're always glad we can help them to have a little time to themselves.

If you're wondering what the activities were, people could either have a go at weaving natural materials through our nature loom (as you can see from the corner photos, there were daffodils, ivy, reeds, grasses - all great for weaving) or they could create pages for the beginnings of their own nature scrapbook using a mixture of natural materials and craft tools such as stamps (top and bottom middle photos). Either activity provided the opportunity to chat; initially based around the activity but often, as most conversations do, leading off on a tangent to other aspects of life.



Wendy
CSiC Project Manager

Cause for Celebration!

More events, more activities, more community engagement, more everything!

It’s so exciting to be able to kick off the new year with great news. Ok, so it's a few weeks in but bear with me.....

New funding from the Big Lottery’s Reaching Communities Fund will enable us to build on the success of Creative Spaces project and to support more people living with dementia in isolated communities in Cornwall.  We cannot be more pleased and excited at the Sensory Trust!

Our aptly named Creative Spaces in the Community project will run for 4 years.  During that time we will work directly with older people with dementia, helping them to enhance their physical and mental wellbeing by maintaining an active life within their community. 

We’ll still use successful tried and tested techniques; involving young people in inter-generational activities, making the most of outdoor environments and nature-focused activities.  In addition, service providers such as local libraries and businesses will be involved, helping them to better understand the issues associated with living with dementia at home. For example, a short trip to a library or local shop can easily turn into a miserable or anxious time if support and understanding within the community isn’t there to help prevent issues from arising.  

The project will also allow us to evaluate and demonstrate the positive impact that these and other elements of the project will have on the physical and mental well-being of people living with dementia. 

The project begins in March and we’re looking forward to the journey ahead; to meeting old friends and making new ones, switching on some metaphoric light bulbs, watching new friendships form and working with individuals and organizations who are also passionate about and want to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia, their carers and families.

If you’re not aware of the previous 4 years of work, through the Creative Spaces project then click HERE to follow the link through to the project page where you can find out more, watch films and pick up some free downloads of activity and fact sheets.

A few memories from Creative Spaces

Creative Carers

It's amazing how creative you can be with materials found around the house and out in the garden, such as twigs, wool, ribbon, leaves and flowers.  Here's a photographic montage of our recent dementia community events that took place at Heartlands in Pool, Launceston Town Hall and the Eden Project.  Hopefully the images will reflect the amazing time that we all had; all down to the wonderful organisations who participated, the support of the venues and the attendance of carers, families, friends, care professionals, people living with dementia and the general public.

         

cress-growing kits - free
to take away

Free Creative Spaces resource
bags for home carers

     

Colourful tables help to attract people to activities

our Nature Palette activity - brimming
with spring flowers, herbs and leaves

         

 

Sue McDermott (Memory Cafe
Network Manager) chats with an
interested couple

People enjoying the
Weaving Tales activity

Trainee nurses engage with
the Nature Mobiles activity

               

Singing for the Brain sessions stimulate
your motor neurons and have your endorphins leaping for joy!

Our Sensory Trees activity table at Eden
looks good enough to eat!

A jumbled picture in our quiz sits behind the Reflections
South West stand..........yes, they're real cakes!

Quizzers post their answers
and hope to win a prize

 

One lovely Weaving Tales ornament made by a gentleman
with a lot of patience!

The Hedgerow and Herbs table full and
evocative...just like an English hedge

Commissioned by Arts for Health, Victoria Bampfield-
Hammond encourages participants to create an amazing,
enormous birds nest.....

..including me

Picture books from the library offer
reminiscence stimulation

We connect so easily through 'making' together

Conversations cross generations

Whatever our age or ability, we are a social species that
loves coming together and interacting in meaningful ways

Organisations who participated included:
Age UK
The Alzheimer's Society
Arts for Health Cornwall
Memory Matters South West
Reflections South West
Memory Cafes Network
Launceston Memory Cafe
Dementia Friendly Communities
Cornwall Care
Time for Change
WRVS
Carers Rights

Their advice and information was invaluable to the families and carers who attended and helped raise awareness among the members of public who dropped in.

Thank you to everyone for making these events worthwhile and a whole lot of fun!

Wendy

Creative Spaces Project Manager

Dementia carers events start at Heartlands

The first of our 3 large dementia community events was held yesterday, at Heartlands; a mining heritage visitor attraction at Pool, near Redruth in Cornwall.

I couldn't believe the number of people who battled the strong winds, horizontal rain and thick mist to pop in and spend time with us.  Some stayed all day; participating in all the activities and eventually leaving armed with free resource bags bulging with activity kits and the results of their creative efforts!

And it wasn't just the memory cafe members who came.  Other home carers came with their partners, some with their families whilst members of the public popped in to find out what the cause of all the noise drifting out from the big hall and stayed to find out more.  I think Flicker, our community donkey, also had something to do with attracting people through the door....he's a bit of a show-stopper!

Flicker - our "Meeter and Greeter"

A quick peek inside a resource bag

The main hall buzzed with conversation and laughter

This lovely couple came in the morning........stayed all day!

With a mixture of nature-based activities and information tables, films, exercise and singing sessions there was plenty for people to be involved with. Not to mention the free teas and amazing cakes that everyone enjoyed!

We're now looking forward to meeting people at Launceston tomorrow and Eden Project on Saturday and having similarly wonderful days.  If you're coming don't forget to bring the sunshine!

Wendy

Creative Spaces Project Manager

Carers are people too

As you know, we are running 3 dementia community events in June this year (see our 'Events' page on this blog) around Cornwall.  These events are aimed at supporting home carers of people living with dementia in the community, their families, friends and other support workers; not to mention a welcome to anyone in the community passing by!

We are trying to gather some prizes for these events; prizes that will give a home carer some 'time out'; the chance to go shopping with a friend, or to enjoy a cream tea in a beautiful Cornish setting, or perhaps sit and enjoy a blockbuster movie at the cinema or relax and be pampered with a facial massage.  Activities many of us enjoy regularly.

A lady focuses on her husband's needs and
enjoyment at a creative session

Dementia carers (all carers in fact) often have to give up work, spend all their time looking after someone else's needs.  They can lose their individuality, feel isolated and lonely and their health often suffers.  You can offer some support, even just a little, by giving them a gift that says "We recognise all that you do and here's something that we hope will allow you to relax and enjoy time out for an afternoon or a few hours".

We've had some fabulous prize offers already from St. Mellion Health Spa, Radio Cornwall, Hall for Cornwall and Trethorne Golf Club but we need a few more.  If you are a business or an organisation based in Cornwall (or know anyone who is!) and can help a dementia carer by donating a prize for our Creative Spaces events then please contact me on 01726 222900

Thank you so much.



Wendy
Creative Spaces Project Manager

Carers Week 2013

We have news on our community events happening during Carers Week this year.

In partnership with Age UK, Alzheimer's Society and Arts for Health Cornwall, we'll be providing  home carers the opportunity to try several of our creative activities (and those that do will get a free resource kit) that can support them in a domestic environment. In addition, professionals and people with dementia will be there to provide advice, information and support. There will be lots happening for everyone who pops in!

Check out the Events page on this blog for more information or call the office on 01726 222900 if you would like to know more.

Members of Bude Memory Cafe enjoyed learning a new
nature-based activity through Creative Spaces; so can you!

Wendy
Project Manager

New Year, New Resources

A strong focus of the project in the New Year is the development of some new resources and activities to support home carers and people living with dementia at home.

We are busy developing and trialing new ideas and Memory Cafe members in Cornwall have been very helpful in trying out these activities for us at the cafes and at home.  We want to ensure that we produce good quality activities that support dementia care at home, that engage people together and encourage people to go outside, get some fresh air, feel better in themselves and hopefully have the chance to socially interact with other people.  So far the feedback from users has been very positive; even people who wouldn't normally do creative activities at home have said how much they enjoyed spending meaningful time with their partner in their own garden and house and that they were already thinking of how they could adapt certain activities for the festive season.

A selection of these resources will be available for free at our forthcoming community events in 2013.  We are organising 3 large events in June next year in partnership with Age UK. These events are aimed at people living with dementia in the community, home carers, families and friends and outreach care workers.  The theme, of course, is outside spaces and activities and there will be a wide variety of creative activities for people to try, films to watch and advice and information from organisations that support people with dementia. It's a great opportunity for us to reach people who perhaps don't yet make the best use of their own garden or local green spaces as places to support dementia care and, in the case of public spaces, where they can get involved in social activities that help to reduce feelings of isolation and depression.

We'll keep you up-to-date with news of these events nearer the time.

So in the meantime I hope you enjoy the following photos of some of the highlights from this year. Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!


Wendy
Creative Spaces Project Manager

staff and residents created a Garden Book at Trevarna

Ernie and Ethan were interviewed for a short film

Beryl's family added interest to the garden with a beautiful
bird bath and feeder

Nature Palettes - always a favourite!

Bulb planting...Sensory Trust style

People gathered at the official garden opening...despite
rain and thunder

Our roaming exhibition travelled around the St. Austell
community

Community workshops brought people
together in creative ways

Natural materials play a big part in our activities

A table set up ready for memory cafe members........
5 minutes later it was a free-for-all!

Staff and residents joined in the community
planting days at Trevarna

Trevarna residents and staff enjoyed the sunshine...
in March!

 

From care home to home care

Whoooooooosh.....that was it; that was the Summer!  The last few months flew past like a non-stop train.  So on to the latest news before we find ourselves celebrating a new year.

National Lottery Awards - Best Health Project
Firstly, a huge "Thank you!" to everyone who voted for the Creative Spaces in the National Lottery Awards this summer. Sadly we were not one of the final three but it was a huge compliment to be shortlisted by a panel of judges and we're very proud of that.  It was a testament to all the hard work that everyone put into the project.

Has Creative Spaces finished?

Well, the Reaching Communities grant has finished and it's amazing to see the overall achievements from the past 3 years. We have engaged over 200 older people with dementia in activities and outdoor environments with over 60 young people.  As a result they have felt less isolated and anxious and become more engaged with their communities, whilst the young people have increased their understanding of dementia and made real friendships with them.

Over 600 carers (professional and non professional) attended workshops, events and presentations and gained more experience of using outdoor environments to support dementia care and social integration. Nearly 350 people from local communities joined in events, activities and day trips; gaining a better understanding of dementia and how people with dementia can play active roles within their community.

Our resources, publications and activity sheets were disseminated out to just under 2000 people - including care professionals, relatives, care volunteers, landscape architects and garden designers as well as other professionals.  Articles written for national publications reached a much wider audience.

Add to that observations and accounts of reduced anxiety and improved sleep in residents; of friendships formed, fears banished, skills discovered and people generally feeling more supported and valued. That kind of impact you can't put a figure on. All in all, 3 years well spent.

But the story is not over..........

Creative Spaces Part II
......it continues in the form of Supporting Change and Impact grants from the Big Lottery; providing a further 12 months funding to take the process and activities used in care homes out into the community to support home carers and people with dementia living at home.

It's a new project but as it's developed from our previous work, we're keeping the name!  New resources are being developed, along with guidance materials for home and community carers.  Community events will take place and a local support network established.




Hollywood here we come!
It's all about camera angles, lighting and story-telling at the moment. There's soon to be a short film about the project itself; covering the garden design, activities and community engagement and we already have a 3 minute film on YouTube, entitled Ernie and Ethan - just two lovely chaps (one aged 91, the other aged 14) talking about their friendship and involvement in the project.  You can view it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1BkUUhC8Bw

Remember our call for applications to produce films from poems? (Dementia Uncovered' post; April 2012).  The 7 commissioned artists have produced 4 films, 2 animations and a digital image for us and we can't wait to show them publicly.  There are no set dates yet but we expect them to be ready by the middle of this month and you'll be able to view them through our website, YouTube, at various community events and conferences as well as this year's Cornwall Film Festival in November.

Watch this space for a red carpet.


And finally...
I'd like to end this post with a tribute to Ernie who passed away this summer at the grand age of 91.  Ernie participated in the project from the beginning.  He loved his chrysanthemums, loved being outdoors and loved the company of others.  He broke into a song about apples at Heligan Gardens and at the Eden Project he regaled us with stories of distilling wine down to pure alcohol as a young man in the army.  It was a pleasure to be in his company and, although he is sadly missed, will always be remembered with great affection every time we see his Chrysanthemums bloom in the garden.