Do Something New

During Dementia Awareness Week the Alzheimer's Society are running a campaign #DoSomethingNew. The initiative is being run because a diagnosis of dementia doesn't mean stopping doing the things you love or trying something new.

The idea was inspired by Ken, Margaret and Ian, who took steps towards fulfilling a life-long dream or ambition. Ken had been a singer from a young age, and after his diagnosis of dementia in 2011, decided to take his singing to the next level, and in April 2015 he sang at Newcastle United FC for the X Factor!

The Alzheimer's Society are inviting all of us to #DoSomethingNew and share our photos, stories etc with them.

On Monday I fulfilled my #DoSomethingNew pledge. I have been performing with the HMS Heron Royal Navy Volunteer Band for the past 2 years, but I haven't plucked up the courage to march (I was heavily pregnant this time last year so I did have an excuse!) But on Monday evening I set out in my waterproofs with my clarinet and got stuck in.

It was drummed into me to 'always start on the left foot' and off we went! For the first piece I focussed purely on marching, keeping in time and staying in line with my fellow band members, they say that women can multi task, but this was taking it to a whole new level. For the second piece I plucked up my courage to play and march, so what if I lost my place halfway through, or my feet went out of sequence and I dragged behind, the main thing is that I did it! And with a bit (OK, a lot!) more practise I think I will be a marching pro in no time...

If you are in the Plymouth area come and see us take part in the Royal Navy Volunteer Band Festival on Sunday 28th June, and you can see me put my parading prowess into practice!

Dementia Friends

Well Dementia Awareness Week has got off to a flying start! It has been very inspirational to follow the Alzheimer's Society's posts, and to see the hive of activity on twitter using the hash tag #DAW2015. I hope that the positive stories and interviews are helping to break down the stigma that sadly surrounds dementia.

Today I want to talk about the fantastic Dementia Friends initiative and to encourage you to sign up as a dementia friend if you haven't done so already.

Background

The Dementia Friends initiative began in 2013, with the aim that by 2015 there would be 1 million people who had received the training, enabling them to help people living with dementia to feel supported and included in their local community.

Dementia Friends Champions receive training and ongoing support to deliver the Dementia Friends sessions in their community. 

How can I get involved?

There are lots of ways you can be involved with the Dementia Friends initiative, and it doesn't have to be time consuming. 

• Become a Dementia Friend by watching the online video
• Become a Dementia Friend by attending a 1-hour information session in your area
• Volunteer as a Dementia Friends Champion and inspire others to learn a little more about dementia and the ways they can help those living with dementia in their community.

For more information and to become a Dementia Friend visit www.dementiafriends.org.uk

Myself and Frankie Simpkins (Area Manager Musica Wiltshire) are Dementia Champions and would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

What is Dementia?

As part of Dementia Awareness Week (17th-23rd May 2015) I will be writing a post everyday relating to dementia and how the arts can contribute to living well with dementia.

As the whole point of this week is to raise awareness of dementia, and to reduce the stigma which sadly still surrounds it, I thought I would start with a brief overview of Dementia.

Stats

-There are currently 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK

- There are 40,000 younger people living with dementia in the UK

- Two thirds of people with dementia are women

- The proportion of people with dementia doubles for every five year age gap

- The financial cost of dementia to the UK is £26 billion per annum

- There are 670,000 carers of people living with dementia

- Family carers of people with dementia save the UK  £11 billion a year

- Only 44% of people with dementia in England,  Wales and Northern Ireland receive a diagnosis

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=341 

The word dementia is an umbrella term for a set of diseases, all with similar symptoms, that affect the brain. It is not part of natural ageing. The diseases that come under the heading of dementia cause the nerve cells within the brain to die, causing gaps and tangles in connections, and brain shrinkage (brain atrophy). Dementia is a degenerative condition, with no cure at present.

As the disease progresses, the person may:
- become confused and frequently forget the names of people, places, appointments and recent events
- experience mood wings, feel sad or angry, or scared and frustrated by their increasing memory loss
- become more withdrawn, due to  either a loss of confidence or to communication problems
- have difficulty carrying out everyday activities

Dementia affects individuals in different ways, and it is important that we remember the person behind the condition. A person centred approach is very much needed when working with or caring for people living with dementia.

This is a very brief overview, but for more information on dementia visit www.alzheimers.org.uk

New Area Manager for Musica Somerset

We are delighted to announce that we have a new Area Manager for Somerset!

This month we welcomed Frances de Bosdari as the newest member of the Musica team. Frances has had a passion for music all her life, singing in choirs, in a rock band and running music and movement classes for children. She is a trained Montessori teacher and is very interested in the use of music in child development.

During the past three years Frances has worked for the Alzheimer's Society, assisting with the local Singing for the Brain group in Castle Cary. It is because of these sessions and seeing the incredible difference music can make with reference to cognitive function, wellbeing, and mobility, that she took an interest in the work of Musica particularly in care homes. 

Frances says "working with all ages and sharing my passion for music is where I feel I am most needed in the community. I look forward to being part of the Musica team, and delivering interactive sessions across Somerset."

If you would like to know more about the services offered in Somerset, contact Frances directly:
frances.debosdari@musica-music.co.uk
07957 663 088
www.musica-music.co.uk

 

Archive: What Songs Will You Listen to When you are 80?

One of my all time favourite things to do is sink into a big bubble bath, with a glass of wine listening to music that brings back happy memories; one song in particular that I like to listen to is ‘Better Together’ by Jack Johnson. This is mine and my husband’s song, and the music for our first dance at our wedding.

I love to listen to music that reminds me of milestones in my life, no doubt as my daughter grows up I will have many songs which remind me of her. This got me thinking about our Musica workshops and our emphasis on the use of stimulating music to promote memory recall; I wondered ‘what songs would I like to hear when I am 80?’ I am sure that the Spice Girls would appear in my top playlist, maybe Aerosmith, Dire Straits or even S Club 7 (I have quite an eclectic taste!)

I find it fascinating to see the shift in musical tastes already changing within the older generation, gone are the days of singing Vera Lynn songs, instead residents are requesting Cliff Richard, Tom Jones and the Beatles. In the not too distant future I’m sure we will hear the Rolling Stones playing in care homes across the country!

I would love to hear about your own musical memories, share your stories in the comment box below.

Music During Care Routine

I believe that music can be integrated into part of the care package for people living with dementia. I have had many care homes asking for our advice on how to establish this integration, and so I have decided to produce a bi-monthly blog post with tips on how to use music as part of your daily care routine. No musical experience is required!

During my current PhD research into the effects of music for people living with dementia, I have read about the use of music during morning care routines and I thought that this would be a good place to start.

Firstly, this should go without saying, chat with the person you are caring for about their favourite song/singer/style of music, did they used to go dancing? Did they ever play an instrument? If they didn’t play an instrument, what instrument would they have liked to play? Do they like to listen to the radio?

Make a note of their responses, remember musical taste is changeable dependent on our moods, so make sure you chat about their preference on a regular basis. Find some of the songs they mentioned or musical style.

Talk about things other than the task you are focussing on e.g. whilst you are helping them to put their shirt on you might like to talk about dancing, and what they would wear to dance in, play some dance music and help to put their shirt on as you talk about the piece. If it takes a little while to put the shirt on the person living with dementia may not become as frustrated as they might had they been getting ready in silence. 

Music can be an excellent distraction.

If you find that the person you care caring for becomes agitated during washing, sing to them gentle easy songs that are easy to sing along with e.g. Que Serra Serra, Daisy Daisy, You are my Sunshine etc.  Use the music as a tool for communication, make sure you keep eye contact, and smile!

It is important that the music is not used in a patronising way, ensure that the person you are caring for has choice; are there any particular songs they would like to hear? Perhaps they wouldn’t like to hear music this morning? Everyone is entitled to make their own choices, be sure not to inflict your own preference onto the care situation.

The use of music for people living with dementia is a growing area of research, a small number of studies explore the use of music during care routines. Research conducted by Hammar et al (2010) shows that music therapeutic caregiving (MTC) – when caregivers sing for or together with PWD (persons with dementia) during caregiving activities – can enhance communication for people living with dementia and can evoke more vitality and positive emotions (Hammar et al 2010. Communicating through caregiver singing during morning care situations in dementia care.  Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences.)

I would love to hear whether you use music during morning care routines and whether you find it beneficial in other areas of care? Do you sing the same songs each day or do you add variety? 

Post your comments below.

www.musica-music.co.uk

Launch of Musica Derbyshire

With an ever increasing demand for care homes to engage and stimulate their residents, it can be a challenge to provide a variety of activities which is highly important for both the well-being of the residents and the reputation of the care home. Musica is fast becoming the answer to this concern and the business has recently launched with a new Area Manager in Derbyshire.

Musica offers affordable hour-long music workshops to care homes, taking residents on a musical journey from a gentle warm up, through to reminiscence, quizzes and singing – culminating in a live performance from talented, professional Musica Representatives. With clients ranging from large care home groups to small independent establishments, this unique business specialises in the care home market with the aim of stimulating residents and improving cognitive functions, providing a more active life for people in care homes. 

Musica focuses on the well-being of older people and particularly specialises in the engagement of people with dementia. Musica is an active corporate partner of the Alzheimer’s Society and a member of the Dementia Action Alliance.Kate Jackson, pictured, is joining the Musica team to run the Derbyshire territory. She says “the capabilities of communicating through music are remarkable and I have found my true calling as a musician.I am passionate about music, and through Musica I hope to share my enthusiasm and enjoyment for music with older adults."

As well as workshops, Musica also provides musicians for care settings looking to have performances as part of open days or special occasions. To learn more about Musica, visit www.musica-music.co.uk