Are humour and play a valid part of dementia care or is it too serious to be joked about? John Killick, in the first of a series of articles considering what has changed in dementia care over the past 30 years, describes how he revised his views on the value of laughter in the course of care. In this journal in...
What was the impact of Covid-19 on the wellbeing of staff and how extensively did it disrupt visits and the everyday routine in care homes? Sophie Randall and colleagues report on an investigation by a Specialist Dementia Intervention Team in South Wales. From the start of Covid-19 care homes were one of the environments most seriously...
Digital technology could be embraced more widely by people in the early stages of dementia, says Catherine James, explaining her award-winning project to design a personal assistant for dementia app. My study evaluated the feasibility of using a smartphone, iPad, or home screen personal assistant for dementia (PAD) with people in the early stages of the condition. It showed the potential positive effects of such a tool on wellbeing, orientation,...
Blogs I’m watching As Omicron heaps more pressure on the NHS, Wendy Mitchell found herself with an unenviable inside view even before the variant began to spread. She was out for an early morning walk to see the sunrise – there are some lovely photos in her blogpost – when “suddenly my feet went from under me...
Creative arts can add significantly to quality of life among extra care housing residents, improving mood, self-esteem and communication. Neil McCarthy describes a project run by not-for-profit housing provider Octavia. A paintbrush moves across a piece of drawing paper and slowly an image begins to emerge. As the page is transformed so is the painter; an older...
PAID CONTENT: The UK’s leading event for dementia runs on on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th March 2022 at The Business Design Centre, London. The two-day conference and exhibition showcases the latest information, advice, products and services for healthcare professionals and the public helping those with Alzheimer’s and dementia. New for 2022, the Virtual Dementia Tour will be delivering their complete training session involving an 8-minute simulation followed by a 75...
Time for the promised Moonshot to get off the launchpad By Mark Ivory, Editor of the Journal of Dementia Care Two contrasting medicinal tales can be told about 2021, one of success and one of failure. Covid-19 vaccines have been a great success by any yardstick, but the story of the search for a dementia treatment has been less happy as the latest twist...
“What is your greatest wish for dementia care in the coming year?” Patrick Atkinson, director of Church Farm Care: My greatest wish is not just for dementia care, but for the whole sector. I want to see the industry start to integrate care and think about what it should look like in the future. We have...
Southern England care home provider Colten Care has invested in practice development, dementia care awareness, and the appointment of an Admiral Nurse. Elaine Farrer explains the positive difference this has made, especially during the pandemic. Looking back, we always knew we were a good fit for Admiral Nursing. We own and operate 21 care homes in the south of England, all...
In Dementia Diaries, people living with dementia from groups in the DEEP network use a voicemail service to record their thoughts and experiences… wherever and whenever they feel like doing so. But, at the end of the summer, the technology behind Dementia Diaries finally gave up the ghost. This has meant that we are currently rebuilding the website, and have been...