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

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

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.

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

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

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

Valuable moments

What do you get if you cross hazel twigs with a ball of plasticine and some knitting wool?  A rather bizarre looking Shaun the sheep?

Actually no; what you get is an afternoon of giggling, creativity and an impromptu game of "Cat's cradle" with members of the Penzance Memory cafe.

Start by dishing out the plasticine. Stand back (a there's no need to light any touch paper) and watch them relax, smile, communicate and engage with each other as they roll, knead and squeeze it.  It seems that rolling it not only warms up the plasticine but warms up people as well!

Now push some short sticks into the plasticine, throw lots of coloured wool into the mix and watch people weave away their anxieties.  Different weaving patterns come into play as people develop their own styles, partnerships build as people work together; sometimes as the weaver sometimes as the person stabilising the twigs until the wool forms a strong bond between them.  For a final touch, add flowers and leaves.

All the while the room buzzes with conversations:
"I remember my mother putting pins in the top of an old cotton reel"
"Oh yes, they call that French Knitting; I remember my grandma showing me how to do that"
"Do you know the cat's cradle?"
"I know we used to do it at school but I can't remember how I did it"
"I'll show you, wait here"

A few minutes later that lady came back with a loop of wool and showed me how to play the Cat's Cradle.

Our activities aren't about the quality of the finished product (if there is one). They're about the journey you take through them; the person you spend that time with, the conversation you had, the things you learned about each other........that is what's important.  If you happen to come away with a lovely object that you've made yourself, that's grand, but that's not where the power to make us feel valued and part of our group/community or society is lurking.  That power is ours in that moment when we share a part of ourselves with someone else, whether through laughter, knowledge, a skill or a memory.

 





Wendy
Creative Spaces Project Manager

Shadows of nature

Last week we did a Shadow Box activity with members of the Fowey Memory Cafe. Guests, relatives and volunteers worked together to build their boxes and then fill them with freshly picked garden flora, pressed flowers, wildlife stickers and stamps.

It was our first time using this activity and it was chosen to see if it would encourage the guests to share stories and memories, to stimulate their creativeness and, most importantly, to give them a sense of achievement (they built the frames themselves as well as decorating inside the boxes).

What a result - the table buzzed as people chatted about places they grew up in or had visited, their interest in wildlife, plants, growing things, pets etc and, for some guests, how long it had been since they'd used wood and carpentry skills!

It was such a lovely afternoon; we even ran over time and into their tea/coffee and cake break.........and no-one mentioned it; not one complaint. They were too busy chatting and finishing off their displays.

I've been thinking about the activity since. I admit I didn't know why they were called Shadow Boxes.   Wikipedia provided an explanation

A shadow box is an enclosed glass-front case containing an object or objects presented in a thematic grouping with artistic or personal significance. 

Typically given to people in military service, on retirement, they contained awards and medals that the person had achieved during their career.

It's pleasing to think that they have now been used to display items that help people living with Dementia to connect to the world around them and that, in building them, they have awarded themselves with a sense of achievement.

Wendy

Creative Spaces Project Manager

Lights....camera......action!

November's been busy for Creative Spaces.

Our presentation on the project and the Dementia Uncovered films at the Congress went really well.  I wasn't sure what to expect so was truly happy when our presentation, including the two films - Quietness on such a scale and Skin - were well received.  In fact I'm sure there was a definite increase in presentations that focused on outside environments and outdoor-related activities at this conference compared to last year's and that fills me with a lot of hope.

About a week later we had a screening of the films at the Cornish Film Festival in front of an audience that included artists, film makers, educators and professionals in the area of inclusive communities and dementia care. Our panel consisted of myself, Rose from FEAST, a community arts based organisation in Cornwall that funded the project, and 4 of the film makers.  It was deeply moving to see the films on the 'Big Screen' and to hear all the positive comments afterwards.  In fact the feedback was so positive we're looking at entering them into other film festivals; possibly even international.

Talking of which.......

The films have received attention in Canada after a short article was submitted to the Canadian Dementia Knowledge Translation Network (CDKTN).  They included it in their November e-newsletter with a link to the films on YouTube.  Thanks for that CDKTN - very much appreciated!

If you haven't seen the Dementia Uncovered films yet you can view the show reel and/or all six individually HERE. 

Now that we are focusing on supporting home carers and people living with dementia in their own homes we've been working with Memory Cafes around Cornwall in testing out some of our new resources.  The feedback so far has been very positive and carers are now starting to use the activities at home in-between their memory cafe sessions.  The new activities are not yet public but keep an eye on this blog, we'll be letting you know when they are.

A series of larger community events will be held next year in Cornwall where participants will receive free resource packs that will include activities and activity fact sheets to help them at home so it's important that we produce quality resources and that they do benefit and support those living at home with dementia.

Finally, I have news on another film.....this one is about the project itself and is simply called 'Creative Spaces...Dementia, Community and Environment'.  We, and the young people from Penrice College, have been filming on and off for the past 3 years and have put together a film about the processes and activities we used to help Trevarna's residents to re-engage with their community.  At the moment we only have a link from here to our YouTube channel, but shortly you'll be able to watch the film on our website.

So why not  grab a cup of something hot (or not!), a plate of something yummy, put your feet up and enjoy the film?  Click HERE to view.

Trevarna care staff were interviewed by young people
involved in making the film

Back with more updates soon; keep watching!

Wendy
Project Manager

To Brighton and beyond

The UK Dementia Congress begins in Brighton tomorrow evening and I'll be making my way there to give a presentation on the project on Wednesday afternoon; specifically the use of the poems and their digital representations as methods of evaluation.

Karen Hayes, the poet involved will be there to talk about the process that she uses and we'll also be showing 2 of the films during our session.

The full show reel of all 6 short films will be on view during the lunchtime period.

This is a great opportunity to get the Creative Spaces message to a wider audience and I hope it leads to more conversations with care professionals about the use of outdoor spaces as places to connect people.

I'll let you know how it all went next week.

Wendy

Project Manager

Planting memories

Our 'decorated bulb pots' activity is proving very popular at the moment.  We recently ran this activity with 2 memory cafes; Truro and St. Austell.

Cafe members were given a small plastic plant pot each, or between two if they wanted to work in pairs.  The pots were sprayed with a light colour beforehand (around autumn/winter we use gold and silver), using car paint.  People then painted a memory, associated with being outdoors, on to their pot.  These memories can be of anything outdoor-related; not necessarily linked to a garden. The aim is to use the outdoors to stimulate conversation and a connection, or re-connection, between people and between people and places. For example, a carer once painted her pot with the memory of her winter wedding which brought back wonderful memories of the snow and the sound of bells, whilst a member of the St. Ives Memory Cafe recently represented a time she was on the river in a boat with her father which sparked a conversation about her father and family.

Images and textures are also used alongside paint to represent people and places.  If people are not confident to paint they often begin by sticking images on the pots.......more often than not, this leads to filling in the gaps with painted images or decorative "sparkly bits".

Once the pots were decorated and had been left to dry for a while, the bulbs were then planted and the memory written onto a 'sensory flag' and placed in the pot. The text helps to maintain a connection between the individual and their memory until the bulb begins to grow, at which point it takes over that role and becomes a link between someone, their memories and outdoors. It may even be used to encourage someone outdoors if it is eventually planted out in the garden.

photo by Tammy McDermott

People have so much fun doing this activity; even those who begin the session with an anxious "But I can't paint!".  After some reassurance that we're not looking for the next Van Gogh, that nothing is being judged and that the pots they are creating are theirs to take home it's not long before there's a buzz around the table and conversation flows along the lines of "Anyone got any brown?" and "Ooh, I like yours! that's a great bird you've painted!"

Even I brought home a gift from the Truro Memory Cafe. One gentleman heard that the group would be doing an outdoor-related activity and had brought in a bag of outdoor items he'd made from broken pallets.  His skill in woodworking was very obvious as he showed off the various items which included a small soil sifter.  When I asked him if I could have the instructions he proudly handed it to me and said "Have this one my dear".  I was delighted with my gift and have already used it at home to sift my compost ready for seed planting.