Nature and Cognitive Stimulation

Today is  session number 12 of our 14 week Cognitive Stimulation and Nature Therapy trial.

We're working with Memory Matters South West, exploring if the addition of nature-based activities and increase access to outdoor environments enhances CST sessions.

CST is a proven therapy for people with mild to moderate dementia.  It follows an established set of themes for a period of 14 weeks and research has shown that it has a beneficial effect on people's cognitive abilities.   So we thought "what would happen if you add our nature-based approaches to a CST course?  Would there be any additional benefits?  Would there be no impact at all?"

We joined forces with Memory Matters South West who run CST sessions, activity clubs,  provide one to one support through their activity workers and offer training in dementia awareness.  So far we've planted seeds,  played outdoor games, created 'sound cards', matched plants with landscapes and orienteered ourselves around an outside environment using objects as clues, pictorial images and maps.

Today's session is about numbers so our nature element is based around locating Fibonacci numbers in plants outdoors.  We'll be searching for spirals - snail shells, curled fern leaves etc - and flower petals numbered 3,5 8 and possibly 13.  The weather's dry so it's a good morning for a nature treasure hunt outdoors!

The course finishes in a couple of weeks and myself and Laura from MMSW will be presenting our activities and findings at this year's UK Dementia Congress in November.  If you're going to be there, come along and say "Hi!" - we love to hear if you've used any of the activities from our website or been inspired by any of the methods/activities we've used in Creative Spaces.

I'll leave you with some Fibonacci in nature pics:

Wendy
Project Manager

Psychosocial approaches in dementia care

The Cornwall Creative Dementia Alliance (CCDA) began a year ago as a group of organisations and individuals who all provide non-clinical support to people living with dementia in Cornwall.   Our aim is to work together to improve and raise awareness of psychosocial services for people living with dementia in Cornwall.  

Our first conference on the benefits of using psychosocial approaches in dementia care was held last month at the Health and Wellbeing Innovation Centre in Truro.

Over 80 delegates heard presentations from health professionals, Third Sector organisations and people living with dementia; had the chance to be inspired and hold creative conversations in the Market Place area and got involved in lunchtime activities.

The number of delegates and the positive feedback from them shows that there is a thirst for more knowledge about where to signpost patients once diagnosed as well as a need for collaborations between voluntary organisations and health professional to enhance the quality of life for those living with the disease in their communities.  

We're all keen in the Alliance to organise something similar next year so keep an eye out for news later in the year.

To find out more about the CCDA and link through to the presentations click HERE 

TOP LEFT: delegates enjoy an lunchtime session of dance and movement 
TOP MIDDLE: Dr. Nick Cartmell, Keynote speaker

TOP RIGHT: the Market Place

 BOTTOM LEFT: Dr. Jennifer Bute, guest speaker

BOTTOM MIDDLE: networking in the Market Place

BOTTOM RIGHT: Wendy Brewin, speaker

Wendy Brewin
Project Manager

From little acorns..........

There has been a lot happening in the project since my last update and I apologise for the lack of entries here.  Time has flown by and much of it has been spent focusing on establishing working relationships with other dementia-related organisations (more on that soon) and starting some dementia-friendly activities to support people in their own communities. 

So let me introduce you to the Clays walking group; here they are.......

.......enjoying various walks, tea stops and each other's company

It all began with Stephen and his wife Teresa who came along to one of our coffee mornings (a social activity we used to raise awareness of the project in the china clay area around St. Austell).  His frustration with his diagnosis was obvious.  Having been a farm worker all his life he suddenly found himself with no purpose and no bike license. His social life and mode of transport had gone but his determination to do as much as possible whilst he still could was very present.  So we organised a walk, just a short one and local to the area and then we followed that with another one and another and slowly others contacted us and joined in.

There are now 10 regulars in the group, including partners and other community members.  They laugh together, accommodate each others walking paces, share home-made 'goodies' and are disappointed if they have to miss a walk.  Stephen has even presented at a recent conference - his first time ever! (again, more on that soon).

You know the old saying "from little acorns big oaks grow"? combine that with a saying by JF Kennedy: "We must use time as a tool, not as a crutch" and I believe that's a good foundation for building sustainability into our project. We take our time to plant the 'acorns'; whether that's establishing working relationships, developing new activities or getting to know our beneficiaries. It's about appreciating and taking time to do all those things so that we create a solid foundation for sustainable outcomes.  We learn more about our beneficiaries and we develop activities that provide the right support and creativity for them.  

The Clays walking group provides us with wonderful images and anecdotes that we can use to encourage other communities and organisations to work with us.  Soon we'll be starting activities in Bodmin and Liskeard and later in the year - Wadebridge.  

There are exciting times ahead, if our 'acorns' are anything to go by!

p.s. don't go too far, there'll be more coming up shortly about our working partnerships and a 'first' for a conference in Cornwall.




Wendy
Creative Spaces Project Manager

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

Family forages

I think we've all been a little caught off-guard by the change in the weather recently (hopefully summer will return soon!), especially the drop in temperature.  The disappointment of having to open up the jumper drawer or take the coat down off the hook has turned my mind, albeit briefly, to autumn and the shortening days and the need to be thinking about a change of activities in Creative Spaces.

Just because we're less likely to spend time outside on windy, cold, wet days doesn't mean that we should deny ourselves that all-important connection with nature.  There are still many low-cost, fun activities that we can do to enhance someone's (and our own) day.  Some may require a little forward-thinking and planning but not to any great degree.

For example, I've already been pressing colourful flowers and petals to be used in our activities such as Nature Palettes and Memory Postcards.  But there are lots of garden material that I'll be collecting now in preparation for autumnal activities:

• Seed heads, flower petals and leaves can be collected and pressed between sheets of blotting paper weighed down by heavy books. Some seed heads look particularly lovely if hung and dried and then sprayed for use in winter activities such as woven hazel centre-pieces for the Christmas table. 
• Fruit such as blackberries and raspberries and apples can be collected and frozen or dried ready for culinary use (not to mention the fun part of picking berries.....'one in the bag, one for me'!) or in making bird food garlands and mobiles
• Herbs can be picked and hung in bunches to dry then chopped and kept in jars to be used later in sensory activities such as making hanging decorations or pot pourri bags

Top: nuts, fruits & spices are great for festive decorations
Middle: leaves, seeds and dried fruit ready to go
Bottom:  pressing flowers is very therapeutic

The point is, all this gathering in the garden, or on regular walks, encourages conversation. What plants or landscapes will jog memories? Is it a favourite walk and why, or perhaps a new walk with news things to discover?  Will the walk be repeated?  What shall we do with the items gathered? a family activity perhaps?

Gathering materials whilst out and about is an activity in itself; a tool to create moments of enjoyment, social interaction and a sense of purpose which then creates an opportunity for even more of those moments through the activity for which the items were collected.

So get yourself and your loved one out and about this weekend; start collecting things for pressing, freezing or drying and enjoy the moments that you share together.




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

Nature in Verse

Direct contact with natural things and being outdoors provides, in my opinion, the best way to connect with nature as well as providing natural, sensory spaces for social interaction.  On occasion, however, that's not always possible.  To help in those instances we provide alternative creative ways in which people with dementia and their carers can access nature through less direct contact.  Not as emotionally connecting but strong enough to allow people to socially connect through conversation.

One example is our nature poetry game in which we use the throw of the dice to determine the choice of a nature-based word.  We have been using this approach in various Memory Cafes in Cornwall. In small groups, people take turns throwing the dice until each group has between 5 - 8 words.  Each group is tasked with creating one verse for the whole poem.  They create 5 or 6 lines for their verse based around the selected words.

It is these nature-based words stimulating people to recollect their memories of nature that help make the connections; not just between people and outdoor places but between individuals, because nature-themed memories help create shared experiences and/or interests.  Memories need not be solely associated with learning about someone's past.  They are an introduction to help  us better understand the life of an individual in the present and from there it's just a step to a conversation about future hopes and dreams.......but that's another post on another day!

Back to connecting with nature through verse.   If you've read previous posts you'll have seen the two poems created by the Bude and St. Austell Memory Cafes (see previous post 'Poetry for the Senses' 4th April 2014).  Truro Memory Cafe members recently joined this list of budding bards.  Their poem is below along with the poems created by Bude and St. Austell Memory Cafes.....just to save you from going back to a previous post!

To see how these poems have been created follow this LINK to our short film of the activity on YouTube.

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

Poetry for the senses

Bude and St. Austell Memory Cafe members have been showing how creative the brain can be, using mental stimulation within the memory 'landscape' that nature can provide.

I ran a Nature's Poetry activity at both cafes and here are the outstanding finished poems.  Members sat in small groups with one person to scribe and each group developed their own verses which were later put together.  I hope you enjoy reading their creative pieces....they should be proud of their work, it's humerous, reminiscent, creative and hopefully inspiring to other dementia support groups/memory cafes or dementia carers who are looking for new ways to support and stimulate people living with dementia.

Wendy

Creative Spaces in the Community Project Manager

Weaving Tales

How about watching a quick video for a change?

The following video (don't worry, it's only a minute long) gives a glimpse of our Weaving Tales activity being used by NHS staff, dementia care professionals and volunteers at a recent Peninsular Community Health one day conference.

We often talk about our creative activities working on various levels.  There are times when an activity can be used simply to fill time; on other levels they work as tools for increasing social interaction and as a means for helping people to express themselves in a safe and relaxing environment. On this occasion we were demonstrating how they work as communication tools; allowing people the opportunity to listen, speak and share an experience.  In dementia care it's important to understand as much about the individual(s) you're caring for as possible. Weaving Tales can take 5, 10, 30 minutes...however long you have....because completing it is not the aim in this situation; the quality of the moment shared is. 

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

Sensory Christmas ideas

Season's Greetings!

If you find yourself at a loss over the Christmas/New Year holidays why not take time out away from the usual routine and have a go at some of our seasonal activities?  They're ideal for getting all the family involved.

It's not too late to hang some home-made spiced 'razzle dazzle' to the Christmas tree with glittery round oases pinned with chillies and star anise;  hang sliced and dried oranges with bundles of cinnamon too and bring some sensory seasonal smells indoors.

Going out on a walk?  collect twigs, leaves, pine cones and make a Nature Mobile - something the whole family can join in with.  You can add bits and pieces from home too; cinnamon sticks, holly/ivy from the garden, left-over cranberries etc. Whatever you like.

And let's not forget food for the garden birds.  A home-made bird food ladder not only helps the robins and finches etc but adds a splash of colour to your garden too - guaranteed a conversation 'starter'!

You can use up old bits of fruit such as apples and pears and berries, bread, popcorn, bacon rind etc.  Just string them along some garden wire and wrap it around both ends of several twigs as you go along.

There are lots of ideas and activity sheets on our website; just click HERE 

We hope you have a wonderful, creative, enjoyable, sensory-rich Christmas and New Year!



Wendy

UK Dementia Congress 2013

They should re-title this the UK Inspirational Dementia Congress!  Every year I return from a UKDC feeling inspired by someone or something.   This year we had a poster presentation at the Congress representing the work of the Creative Spaces project and our Let Nature Feed Your Senses (LNFYS) project, which has increased opportunities for care homes to visit farms and become more connected to nature and the farming environment through sensory-rich activities.  If you'd like to read more about that particular project then please visit our main website HERE.

Poster presentation; apologies for the poor
quality!

I was interested in finding creative, engaging projects that put the person with dementia at the heart of them and hearing more about the current hot topic of dementia-friendly communities.  Here are some of my personal highlights:

Circles of Support presentation:  this is a partnership between Innovations in Dementia and NDTi (National Development Team for Inclusion).   They are supporting people living with dementia to connect with families and communities in Mid Devon, Dorset, West London and Hampshire; to make changes and allow them to stay connected with people and live their lives.

How the ‘circle’ works is that a group of people come together to support one person living with dementia, they are led by a facilitator. This is someone who is essential to setting up the group and helping it to run.  The people in the circle can be anyone, not just family and friends.

So far, these circles have helped:

• A man inform his employers of his diagnosis
• Introduce couples to each other, to help maintain their social interactions
• Find volunteers to support and take part in chosen activities with people living with dementia 
• A family organise live-in care
• Walking groups to get people living with dementia involved in their rambles

This project has been funded by the Dept of Health for 3 years (2011 – 2014).  More information and findings can be found at:  http://www.ndti.org.uk/uploads/files/Circles_Insight_2013.pdf

There were several presentations on Dementia Friendly Communities:

York was the first DFC in England.  They carried out walking interviews with people living with dementia, had debates, visits, interviews and films to find out how they could improve the city.  Bradford followed with a lot of awareness being increased within the South Asian communities.  However, the town that drew my interest was MOTHERWELL in Scotland. 

Motherwell created a dementia-friendly environment in a small town centre that was suffering from economic depression; closing shops and run-down areas were the 'norm'. NHS Lanarkshire and Alzheimer Scotland worked together and encouraged businesses and services to sign up.....apparently using techniques seen on The Apprentice and Dragon’s Den!  Their USP was “Be the first!” which seemed to have worked really well because they won this year’s Best Dementia Friendly Initiative at the Alzheimer Scotland Awards.  

From a creative point of view there was the Music Mirrors project.  Musical ‘self portraits’ developed with people living with dementia.   Significant music and not preferred music is compiled from conversations with people living with dementia. Music that links people to places, events or other people is what's important here, not what their favourite music is. These musical pieces are then linked by short written snippets from the interviewees.  The recordings are saved onto a CD, USB stick or even linked to YouTube via emails.  This allows them to be able to accompany the individual no matter where they are living.  They can be used in reminiscence sessions but also to communicate and engage with people with dementia.  

This project reminded me very much of how we engaged the Trevarna residents in their garden re-design, by looking at the significance of outdoor environments to them and gathering memories and personal stories rather than asking the question “What’s your favourite flower?”.  We got so much from that approach and I think these musical portraits will do the same.......it’s a good recipe!

I also went to the “Whose Shoes?” workshop.  This was only a taster presentation of their on-line "Whose Shoes?" toolkit.  So it was a shame it was too short a time for them to talk about everything they wanted to but they were still able to provide a flavour of what this toolkit can do.  Gill is a very inspirational speaker, you can sense that this is something very personal for her.  We sat in small groups and were given several statements (provided by either carer/business provider/person with dementia/family member) and asked to discuss the statement and write down a precis of our discussion.  It's at this point that the whole room buzzed to the sound of conversations.  That in itself is always a good indicator that people are participating in your session.   The notes were then provided to a graphic artist who was making a visual representation of the discussion outcomes.  I hope that we get to see them on the "Whose Shoes?" BLOG at some point.

If you've never been to a UK Dementia Congress then please do try and go one year.  The people that attend, whether speakers or not, are so inspirational you can't help but feel invigorated by it all.  I'm off to try and scribble down all these new thoughts I have about outdoors and dementia now...........

Wendy

Project Manager

In a nutshell

With the doors finally closed on the Creative Spaces project, reflecting on what has been an amazing 4 years is a natural part of the process.

Articles summarising the last year of the project will be forthcoming on our website (an evaluation report for Years 1 – 3 is already on there).  In the meantime it's been useful to ‘download’ project highlights from my own little grey cells.  As you would expect, there’s a lot to tease out and too much to put in this blog, but here are some snippets:

Intergenerational activities
The young people involved had little trouble accepting older people with dementia.  The skills they gained in dementia awareness and communication helped, but it was through the intergenerational activities that they really connected with each other. 


The stories
These were such a powerful element of the project.  For example, there were accounts about family life, friends, growing up, outdoor experiences , jobs and hobbies.  All inspired by  the outdoors and/or nature-based activities. Stories were shared by a master bookbinder, a couple who had lived all around the world and a Cornish Bard, to name but a few from the many people involved. People who discovered an affinity through shared experiences and better understanding and helped to enrich each others lives.   


Supporting carers 
Home carers living in rural areas in particular need improved support to access local groups and organisations.   Our community workshops and events both highlighted and helped address this issue.  We met people who were desperate to find social support and the confidence to try activities that enriched their lives and removed feelings of isolation and depression.  For many, the fortnightly trip to their memory cafe was the only social occasion they had.

So in a nutshell, get creative with dementia care; organise intergenerational activities, make better use of outdoor environments, use natural materials to create meaningful activities and keep costs down, stimulate social interaction for those diagnosed with dementia and their carers.  Trust me, you'll be on to a winner.

   

Wendy

Project Manager

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

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