I missed the first episode but watched the second this week and thought this program was amazing. I went through all emotions I was happy, sad, angry and at the end I cried. I had been told it would be hard for me to watch, as I might relate it to my Grandad, but at the same time I would find it interesting. That was correct. I’m not concerned about my Grandad, I’m really happy with the home that he is in now.
I think it is absolutely amazing that this program is on the TV, serious issues are being raised and dealt with. Issues that I have witnessed first hand and those that I hope never to see. But also examples of what it should be like for residents of care homes, simple things that can make a massive difference.
Earlier on the same day I had been at the dementia care home with work. We were doing one on one sessions making Christmas Pomanders out of oranges, cloves and cinnamon. I had a really nice time and the two residents that I worked with seemed to really enjoy the activity. I feel so much better going in with an activity rather than just relying on my conversation. I don’t know if that is because of my background of delivering art workshops to groups or if it is because I can see the positive effect of an activity much more clearly.
Friday, 18 December 2009
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Websites
Some other websites I have been looking at are:
www.alzheimers.org.uk
www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Alzheimers-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx
www.alzheimers-research.org.uk/
www.alz.co.uk/
www.alz.org/index.asp
www.alzheimers.org.uk
www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Alzheimers-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx
www.alzheimers-research.org.uk/
www.alz.co.uk/
www.alz.org/index.asp
Videos
Thursday, 3 December 2009
technology
It strikes me that technology is going to become quite a big factor in the world of Alzheimer's. In fact this may already be happening. At some point the people who are suffering are going to be people who are accustomed to using technology. Already the people we talk to at the home were confused by the old fashioned iron that we took in, they remember irons being big white plastic things, much easier to lift and use. Soon/already Alzheimer's sufferers will be used to using computers, for many people this is second nature, turning on a computer and checking your e-mail comes as naturally as cleaning your teeth.
This raises the point that the types of activities people with Alzheimer's are doing will have to evolve with time. Making the activities relevant for the individual is something that is already happening but soon relevant activities might involve playing computer games, texting on a mobile phone or reading the paper on the internet.
My Mother told me about a Jeremy Vine show on radio two, where they were discussing dementia and there was a case study of a woman who was diagnosed but afraid to tell people. To disguise the issue she told a few close friends and family and asked them to remind her by text message about things that she had to do. This meant that she could maintain her independence for a while longer.
Today somebody told me about the ihouse a glimpse into the future. Perhaps this could also help to maintain the independence of people with dementia, in fact it could extend the independence of many different people.
This raises the point that the types of activities people with Alzheimer's are doing will have to evolve with time. Making the activities relevant for the individual is something that is already happening but soon relevant activities might involve playing computer games, texting on a mobile phone or reading the paper on the internet.
My Mother told me about a Jeremy Vine show on radio two, where they were discussing dementia and there was a case study of a woman who was diagnosed but afraid to tell people. To disguise the issue she told a few close friends and family and asked them to remind her by text message about things that she had to do. This meant that she could maintain her independence for a while longer.
Today somebody told me about the ihouse a glimpse into the future. Perhaps this could also help to maintain the independence of people with dementia, in fact it could extend the independence of many different people.
Young People
Third visit to the dementia care home this week. This time it was a little different, instead of delivering an activity we observed a group of young people from a local school coming in to sing Christmas Carols to the residents. It was amazing how much of a positive effect the presence of the young people had on the residents. They were smiling, humming along and holding hands with the young people. Of course this is not all of the residents, some weren't aware of what was happening.
It reminded me of one of my friends who is a painter, she delivered a project in a residential home, with people who suffer from dementia and some young people from a local school. She had them working in pairs to create paintings and collages. From what I remember she said it was a positive experience for all involved.
It was nice to hear the residents talking about how much they had enjoyed it after the young people had left.
I suppose for most people it is nice to remember your childhood, or some people are thinking about when their children were young, or their own grandchildren. It is also the change of having something different to see and perhaps the music is what is raising their spirits. It could be a combination of all of these things; whatever it is, it brought a completely different atmosphere to the home, if only for a little while.
It reminded me of one of my friends who is a painter, she delivered a project in a residential home, with people who suffer from dementia and some young people from a local school. She had them working in pairs to create paintings and collages. From what I remember she said it was a positive experience for all involved.
It was nice to hear the residents talking about how much they had enjoyed it after the young people had left.
I suppose for most people it is nice to remember your childhood, or some people are thinking about when their children were young, or their own grandchildren. It is also the change of having something different to see and perhaps the music is what is raising their spirits. It could be a combination of all of these things; whatever it is, it brought a completely different atmosphere to the home, if only for a little while.
Saturday, 21 November 2009
What would happen..
I wonder what would happen if I tried to spray everything yellow. If I tried to keep everything for just that little bit longer. Would it work? Or would I still not be able to see anything, as everything would be yellow?
Monday, 9 November 2009
Thursday, 5 November 2009
Progress?
I went back to the dementia care home this week. I found it a lot easier than the previous time. We worked with some of the same residents, but I don’t think they remembered. There were new people too, one quite aggressive, but I think I’m kind of used to it because of visiting my Grandfather. My Grandfather isn’t aggressive, but you do get used to all kinds of behaviour because of the people staying at the same home.
I’ve started to read David Shenk’s ‘The Forgetting’, I could quote it all it’s so good. I have read it before, but I didn’t realise until I got about a quarter of the way through. My partner likes to joke that I have mild dementia; I suppose it is not unrealistic to suggest that I could unconsciously be developing the symptoms that I’m reading about. But I have always been easily distracted.
I’ve started to read David Shenk’s ‘The Forgetting’, I could quote it all it’s so good. I have read it before, but I didn’t realise until I got about a quarter of the way through. My partner likes to joke that I have mild dementia; I suppose it is not unrealistic to suggest that I could unconsciously be developing the symptoms that I’m reading about. But I have always been easily distracted.
I think I'm Obsessing
A: ‘I was travelling on the train the other day and spotted a crumpled up chewing gum wrapper that had been left on the table in front of me. I started to think about how far the wrapper had travelled, how long had it been there? Who had sat next to it? What conversations had it witnessed? Who had left it there? I rather poetically began to think that the answers to all of these questions are captured in the folds of the wrapper.
I took the wrapper and put it in my pocket. But then started to feel guilty, that I was somehow preventing it from completing its journey. I decided to put it back. When I got off the train and put my hand in my pocket it was still there, I had forgotten.’
B: ‘But it’s rubbish! Isn’t it?’
I took the wrapper and put it in my pocket. But then started to feel guilty, that I was somehow preventing it from completing its journey. I decided to put it back. When I got off the train and put my hand in my pocket it was still there, I had forgotten.’
B: ‘But it’s rubbish! Isn’t it?’
Monday, 19 October 2009
Thursday, 15 October 2009
from a friend
'I was thinking of telling you about my Grandmother. She recently broke her arm. She’s 84 and it has knocked her for six. This has led to her having trouble remembering things, it is most probably not dementia and more likely to be confusion, but my dad was saying she is doing things like eating raw bacon sandwiches as she is forgetting to cook the bacon. Who knows?
It is hard to admit but this is easy for me to deal with as I am so far removed (physically) and not faced with it “out of sight, out of mind”, but I desperately want to put myself in a position where I am with her and want to help her, or just to be with her.
This got me wondered if you could utilise all of these confessions, if you haven’t already. It fascinates me. It’s people letting you in, maybe we don’t think people would be interested in hearing about these experiences.'
Dementia Care Home
This week I visited a dementia care home in Stoke on Trent, to deliver a Museum Outreach project. This involved introducing a group of residents to a series of objects from the museum and encouraging them to talk about them.
The groups were very small, so it was very much a one to one environment. This proved to be very stimulating for the residents that I spoke to, as they enjoyed meeting someone new and talking about their past. It is encouraging that this type of activity is taking place in care homes.
Other things I noticed about the home were yellow signs on every door, explaining what was behind them with text and imagery. They also had out of bounds room disguised by the doors being decorated the same colour as the walls. This means that the doors mostly go unnoticed by the residents. The office to the home was open so residents were free to walk in and talk to staff. While I was there staff were heard singing with one of the residents who had gone to pay them a visit.
The home manager also showed us some photographs of a tea dance they had organised for all the residents, and those from two other homes, in a neighboring building. The residents had all enjoyed getting dressed for a party, going somewhere new and many remembered dances they had not done for years. This seemed like a really positive activity for the residents to be involved in.
The groups were very small, so it was very much a one to one environment. This proved to be very stimulating for the residents that I spoke to, as they enjoyed meeting someone new and talking about their past. It is encouraging that this type of activity is taking place in care homes.
Other things I noticed about the home were yellow signs on every door, explaining what was behind them with text and imagery. They also had out of bounds room disguised by the doors being decorated the same colour as the walls. This means that the doors mostly go unnoticed by the residents. The office to the home was open so residents were free to walk in and talk to staff. While I was there staff were heard singing with one of the residents who had gone to pay them a visit.
The home manager also showed us some photographs of a tea dance they had organised for all the residents, and those from two other homes, in a neighboring building. The residents had all enjoyed getting dressed for a party, going somewhere new and many remembered dances they had not done for years. This seemed like a really positive activity for the residents to be involved in.
Monday, 12 October 2009
Difficulty performing familiar tasks?
Difficulty preforming familiar tasks is one of the symptoms or signs of dementia that Joanne Koening Coste mentions in Learning to Speak Alzheimer's. I have used a few quotes from her book to try to get people's attention in unexpected places; this was my first post-it, it hasn't photographed very well.
Saturday, 10 October 2009
Mini Mental State test
• What is today’s date?
• What day of the week is it?
• What is the season?
• What country are we in?
• What town?
• What building are we in?
• What floor are we on?
• I am going to name three objects and I want you to repeat them back to me:
• I would like you to count backwards from one hundred by seven (stop after five answers).
• Can you repeat back to me the three objects I mentioned a moment ago?
• (point at an object in the room) What do we call this?
• (point at another object in the room) And what do we call this?
• Repeat after me: ‘No ifs, ands or buts.’
• Take this piece of paper in your right hand, fold it in half and position it on the floor.
• (Without speaking hold up the piece of paper that has ‘close your eyes’ written on it).
• Please write a sentence for me, it can say anything at all but make it a sentence.
• Here is a diagram of two interesting pentagons. Please copy this drawing onto a piece of paper.
• What day of the week is it?
• What is the season?
• What country are we in?
• What town?
• What building are we in?
• What floor are we on?
• I am going to name three objects and I want you to repeat them back to me:
• I would like you to count backwards from one hundred by seven (stop after five answers).
• Can you repeat back to me the three objects I mentioned a moment ago?
• (point at an object in the room) What do we call this?
• (point at another object in the room) And what do we call this?
• Repeat after me: ‘No ifs, ands or buts.’
• Take this piece of paper in your right hand, fold it in half and position it on the floor.
• (Without speaking hold up the piece of paper that has ‘close your eyes’ written on it).
• Please write a sentence for me, it can say anything at all but make it a sentence.
• Here is a diagram of two interesting pentagons. Please copy this drawing onto a piece of paper.
Dementia Training
I went on a Dementia Training course this week with Stoke on Trent City Council. It wasn't really what I was expecting, as I'm going to be doing work at a dementia care home I thought it might deal with how to behave in certain situations, what to say and what not to say etc... In fact, the trainer explained a lot about the different types of dementia, which was actually really interesting for me.
He mentioned some work that they are doing in Stoke at the moment where they create Life Story Books, encouraging family to bring in images and record stories of a resident's past, these are then put together in Windows Movie Maker and played for a resident during times of stress. They have found that this works really well as a comforting technique.
Worryingly the trainer mentioned a few facts:
40-50% of GPs have no training in diagnosing dementia. Many still using the Mini Mental State test, which is a series of questions I have come across before in my work.
750 000 people have dementia in Britain (thought be be an underestimation as does not include the 18000 that are under 65)
In 2010 that will be 870 000, reaching an estimated 1.2 million by 2050.
Yellow is the last colour in the spectrum that dementia suferers lose.
He mentioned some work that they are doing in Stoke at the moment where they create Life Story Books, encouraging family to bring in images and record stories of a resident's past, these are then put together in Windows Movie Maker and played for a resident during times of stress. They have found that this works really well as a comforting technique.
Worryingly the trainer mentioned a few facts:
40-50% of GPs have no training in diagnosing dementia. Many still using the Mini Mental State test, which is a series of questions I have come across before in my work.
750 000 people have dementia in Britain (thought be be an underestimation as does not include the 18000 that are under 65)
In 2010 that will be 870 000, reaching an estimated 1.2 million by 2050.
Yellow is the last colour in the spectrum that dementia suferers lose.
Monday, 5 October 2009
Learning To Speak Alzheimer's
As part of my research I've been reading 'Learning To Speak Alzheimer's' by Joanne Koening Coste. Although a lot of the advice is only relevant for those living in America some things she mentions are quite interesting, but the most interesting thing for me has been the reaction I get from other people when they see me reading it. People I have worked with and known for years are suddenly opening up to me about their parents or grandparents, it appears many of us have unspoken worries about relatives suffering from Dementia.
Why am I doing this?
Through a varied medium I discuss how memories make us who we are, how we analyse and edit our past in our minds, creating a labyrinth of feelings, people and moments in time. I am interested in the idea of memory as identity; with loss of memory comes the loss of ourselves, our life’s path slowly erasing behind us.
The work I am creating is a response to my feelings about memory; how I have witnessed my Grandfather’s attempts to hold on to memories that Alzheimer’s threatens to take away; how I struggle to remember a face that once meant the world to me; how an item, an image or a word can resuscitate an emotion and how I can forget the things that I have loved but am haunted by events that I wish I could take away.
The work I am creating is a response to my feelings about memory; how I have witnessed my Grandfather’s attempts to hold on to memories that Alzheimer’s threatens to take away; how I struggle to remember a face that once meant the world to me; how an item, an image or a word can resuscitate an emotion and how I can forget the things that I have loved but am haunted by events that I wish I could take away.
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