Work & Dementia
Last week’s work week was the best of the three so far. I had many more conversations about what my time and energy should be focused on in regards to my work. It's been decided that I will be spending a lot of time with service user engagement, asking the people how they feel Social adVentures and the Angel Centre do in fulfilling our aim. I will be collecting all of the data and will come to conclusions with how we are perceived and what could be done to improve our services. Our aim is to inspire local people to live happier and healthier lives and we are obviously hoping to get positive and constructive feedback!
So far I’ve been able to speak with a few of the many diverse groups that are hosted within our space, including:
Change 4 Life Course for Adults with Learning Disabilities - a group of adults looking to learn about the foods they eat and different ways to exercise & be healthier.
DIY Theatre Group - a group of learning disabled performers that write their own shows and make their own sets and costumes! [http://www.diytheatre.org.uk/]
I really do enjoy getting to interact with the people who are using the services, they’re the reason that all of this happens in the first place! One of my favourite moments was when I was having a chat with a friend I had made from sitting in on some classes. We were in the cafe talking about his favourite person, John Lennon, when it turn 1pm and it was time for him to head up to Arts & Crafts. As he got up to leave, he looked me right in the eye and said "I care about you." It's hard to beat a moment like that. Unfortunately though, a lot of our classes have ended for the summer and don’t pick back up again until the Fall, so I won’t get to know everyone as much as I would like to.
Aside from service user engagement, I have been able to participate in Empowered Conversations baking sessions. An Empowered Conversation is “a new approach which helps carers tune into and engage with people who are living with dementia.”
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQeHGHAyV1k]
In these sessions it is hoped that creating a space filled with the familiar feeling of putting
their hands in dough and familiar smells such as freshly baked bread, along with the aid of those trained with empowered conversation techniques, the participants will interact in positive conversations and possibly even recount stories from their past.
Having participated in these sessions, I have been inspired to research into the effects of dementia on Canadians, as it is obviously an issue here in the UK.
In 2011, 747,000 Canadians were living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias - that’s 14.9 per cent of Canadians 65 and older.
By 2031, if nothing changes in Canada, this figure will increase to 1.4 million
In 2011, family caregivers spent in excess of 444 million unpaid hours looking after someone with cognitive impairment, including dementia.
The physical and psychological toll on family caregivers is considerable; up to 75 per cent will develop psychological illnesses; 15 to 32 per cent experience depression.
[http://www.alzheimer.ca]
The numbers speak for themselves that dementia is an issue in Canada and will continue to be for years to come. It has got me thinking about what I can do to help in the creation of safe and healthy spaces for not only those who suffer with dementia but their carers as well.
