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Making a Life Memories Book

“Singing for the brain” in Swindon

Music has the ability to capture emotion and stimulate the brain like few other mediums. And because the part of the brain that governs our response to music is one of the last to be affected by dementia, the power of music and song to help those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia can be profound.

Singing for the brain is an initiative run by the Alzheimer's Society based on the principles of music therapy. The aim is to bring people with dementia and their carers together to sing in a fun, friendly and stimulating environment where they can express themselves and socialise with others in a supportive group.

In the video clip below, Chreanne Montgomery-Smith,one of the founders of Singing for the Brain, explains more about how the sessions are run, while several participants talk about the enjoyment and feeling of wellbeing they experience from attending the sessions.

If you fancy giving it a go, there are 3 local Singing for the brain groups in Swindon and the surrounding area.
Details are below, but for up-to-date information on the dates and times of the sessions, contact the Alzheimer's Society - contact telephone01249 443469 (Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm.) contact emailswindon@alzheimers.org.uk

Singing for the Brain Swindon
St Andrews Church Centre, Raleigh Avenue,  Walcot, Swindon  SN3 3DZ

Singing for the Brain Swindon Freshbrook
Freshbrook Community Centre, Village Centre, Freshbrook, Swindon SN5 8LY

​Singing for the Brain Malmesbury
The Actiity Zone Leisure Centre, Bremilham Road, Malmesbury SN16 0DQ

Adjusting to a Diagnosis of Dementia

A diagnosis of dementia can feel like the end of life as you know it. But it needn’t.

Although the news is just as shocking for family and friends as it is for the person diagnosed, it’s important for everyone to remember that it is possible to live, and LIVE WELL with dementia for many years.

The key to coming to terms with the range of emotions you’ll be experiencing is to arm yourself with as much information as possible. As Nina Balackova – an inspirational Czech lady who spoke about her own experiences of dementia at the Alzheimer Europe Conference in 2013 – said “You can’t choose what you feel, but you can choose what you do with it.”

The amount of information and support available is growing all the time so here are our suggestions for some helpful places to find reliable and easy to digest information and advice. The list is by no means exhaustive, but it will hopefully give you some valuable starting points.

The Alzheimer’s Society www.alzheimers.org.uk is an obvious place to begin, whether you have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or one of the many other forms of dementia.

Particularly helpful sections on their website are:

– Factsheets which provide detailed information on an enormous range of subjects and lists of where to gain further information and support.

– Online Forum which gives you access to a safe online community where you can ask questions, share your experiences with others in a similar position, and receive advice and support 24 hours a day.

– Local Information about services and support groups in your area.

– E-Newsletters which you can subscribe to for free to keep you updated with the latest news and information.

– Alzheimer’s Society YouTube channel where you can watch video clips of real people sharing their personal experiences.

“DEMENTIA : The One Stop Guide” is a recently published book by Professor June Andrews, with the aim of providing practical advice for families, professionals and people living with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. (Published by Profile Books, February 2015)

Professor Andrews is Director of the Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) at the University of Stirling where she has gained a well-deserved international reputation for her work to improve the lives of those affected by dementia.

Her sensible, no nonsense and easy to relate to approach in this book makes it a truly valuable read. It is well laid out so you can dip in and out of the chapters you find most relevant, and she answers the most pressing questions you’re likely to have without bogging you down in jargon or unnecessary detail.

Chapters include: How to keep dementia at bay, Managing care at home, Disturbing behaviours, Your dementia-friendly home, What you should expect from the social care system, and many more.

I must point out that we have no commercial interest in this publication, but recommend it simply because of the quality, reliability and up to date information it provides. It’s a truly helpful read in our opinion and is worth every penny. It can be purchased from Amazon by clicking on the image below or DSDC’s own online bookshop at www.dementiashop.co.uk

NHS Choices – Care and support guide www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/Pages/what-is-social-care.aspx
This is a valuable resource providing information for carers on a whole range of issues including how to fund care, benefits that may be available to you, how to get a carer’s assessment, how to access breaks and respite care etc.

Your local GP surgery will be able to advise you on services and support groups available in your locality. Services do vary from area to area but help from a range of professionals may be available, such as Occupational therapy, specialist dementia nurses (Admiral nursing teams), or Social Care teams, and your GP will be able to help make the necessary referrals.

We hope these suggestions prove a useful starting point for you. As one contributor to the online forum at the Alzheimer’s Society put it, “this is a road that nobody chooses to go down, but the more educated you are on what’s happening, the more accepting you are of what’s going on”. Try not to let anxiety about what may happen in the future dominate your thoughts. Take things one step at a time and keep your focus on managing the present.

In future emails we’ll endeavour to focus in on particular aspects of care that may prove helpful to you.

As always, if there is something specific you want to know please reply to this e-mail with your question and we’ll be delighted to help.

Warmest regards,

The Team at Dementia Care Swindon

Mental verses Physical – which activities are more important for enriching older brains?

Keeping the mind sharp and the body active have to be the key goals for all of us as we get older. But with the press reporting on what seems like an endless stream of studies and reports that extol the virtues of one particular form of activity or therapy over another, it can become all too easy to get swept up in the hype.

So, is one activity better than others at warding off the symptoms of dementia ?

Should we be prioritising mental stimulation over physical exercise?
Or is physical fitness more beneficial than the mental challenge of problem-solving puzzles?

The answer is a resounding NO according to a research study published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Mental AND physical exercise prove equally valuable in the quest to keep thinking skills in, and dementia out.

In the American study, 126 seniors were divided into groups with each group embarking on a programme of either computer activities, aerobics, watching educational DVDs or stretching exercises. At the end of the 12 week trial, the participants from all groups demonstrated improved thinking scores.

What surprised researchers was the lack of any real difference in improvement between groups. When it comes to stimulating the brain, it appears that it is not the type of activity that matters, but the amount of it.

This research reinforces numerous studies, conducted in both the US and UK, that have demonstrated the benefits of both mental and physical exercise on brain function.

Evidence suggests that older people who take physical exercise regularly display less brain shrinkage and brain lesions which can indicate dementia. It’s therefore likely that physical activity, by stimulating the production of blood vessels and new brain cells, increases the volume of the parts of the brain responsible for memory and thinking.

Similarly, activities that provide mental stimulation such as crosswords, playing chess, reading the newspaper, participating in clubs and pursuing hobbies also improve cognitive health as people age.

As a result most health experts now agree that a common sense approach of maintaining a balance of both mental and physical activity is the best way forward, recommending aiming for two and a half hours each week of moderate intensity exercise combined with mental exercises to stay sharp.

Getting to grips with some legal questions…

A diagnosis of dementia inevitably raises questions about your future care needs, and how these can best be met. The legal systems that must be negotiated can feel like a real obstacle course, so the need for clear, straightforward information is obvious, yet not always easy to find.

Having provided advice to many families trying to work through this difficult process, Laker Legal Solicitors decided to create a no-nonsense  guide which provides an easy to understand breakdown of the legal and financial implications around the choices people with dementia and their families may need to make as their dementia progresses over time. We're pleased to be able to share their guide with you here.

Living With Dementia, the Practical, Legal & Financial Considerations by Laker Legal Solicitors

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Dementia Open days at Great Western Hospital

Find out more about dementia with the Great Western Hospital

To do their bit for Dementia Awareness Week, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is  welcoming people in to find out more about dementia.

On Monday May 18 and Tuesday 19 May, experts from the Trust will be available in the Main Atrium to answer your questions about dementia and share details of some of the hospital’s dementia services.

Carers of people living with dementia are invited to come along and find out what support is available to them from the many dementia support groups that work across Swindon and Wiltshire.

On Tuesday 19 May and Thursday 21 May  information stands will also be on display to help people find out about the work of the Trust’s Palliative Care team, who have recently made changes to their end-of-life care programme, as well as the new Outpatient Welcome and Liaison Service (OWLS), which helps people with dementia find their way around hospital when attending appointments.

Sarah White, Consultant Geriatrician and Clinical Lead for Dementia, explained to the Wiltshire Times: “Dementia Awareness Week is an important fixture in our calendar as it provides us with the opportunity to increase the public’s understanding of this condition and to remind people that there’s always more to a person than just their dementia.”

“There has been a great deal of work within the Trust over the last 12 months to improve the services and care we provide to patients with dementia. By continuing to raise awareness and understanding, more people are able to receive a timely diagnosis which allows them to plan for their future.”

Visitors will be able to learn about the Trust’s new dementia friendly ward, Jupiter, which opened in November 2014 following a £98,000 renovation project, funded by the Trust’s charity Brighter Futures.
The Jupiter Ward team will be on hand to discuss the recent changes, as well as showcasing some of the tools they use every day, such as the This Is Me passport, which gives staff an overview of a patient’s likes, dislikes and usual routine, resulting in more personalised care.

Wendy Johnson, Matron for Older Person’s Care, said: “The changes made to Jupiter are having a real impact on patients, with fewer now suffering from falls thanks in part to the ward’s new non-shiny floor. This ultimately helps people to recover quickly, meaning less time is spent in hospital.”

Stay up-to-date with all the latest from the week and to get in touch with the Trust’s Dementia Care team on Twitter at
#GWHDementiaWeek 

Will you do something new for Dementia Awareness Week? 17-24 May

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