Dementia Care Best Practice - West Kent Housing Association
For Dementia Awareness Week from 20-26 May this year, the Housing LIN has gathered examples of where extra care schemes or other housing related community services have supported people with dementia to develop meaningful relationships to prevent unwanted social isolation or reduce loneliness.
The examples range from informal arrangements supported by staff or other residents as well as more formal service provision. Today’s example of best practice comes from West Kent Housing Association.
Once Upon A Time workshop at Copperfields
A creative group of women living with dementia have rediscovered magical memories while creating textile books, thanks to an innovative new workshop.
Artist and therapist Tracie Peisley started working with women and carers at Copperfields in Newington alongside Thanet community worker, Rachel Connelly.
The sessions, Once Upon a Time, see the group share stories and reconnect through sewing practice, games and song.
Tracie prepared linen covers and calico pages for the books and invited the women to personalise them with photographs, pockets, and hearts for loved ones.
The results have stimulated a beautiful exchange of heartfelt stories with one woman, Rita (pictured), including photos of riding horses and regaling stories of childhood – Rita’s devoted husband was a horseman and they rode together.
Photo Tracie Peisley
Tracie says there is consistency through each session. She said: “One of the things that astounds me each week is that despite the way the illness strips memory and function there are consistent themes that return each week through painting, sewing, drawing and reflection. There is a story asking to be heard and expressed.”
Group work is fundamental to the outcomes. “It’s not work I can do alone, the relationships are essential and the agency offered up by another person is critical,” she added.
Photo Tracie Peisley
Storytelling plays an integral part of the workshops with a listening game with Tracie reading fairy tales. She said: “They are stories that help children make sense of intense dramas when they are small, made available to nourish the minds of the older generation. “
Singing individually and collectively provides a melodic ending to the sessions.
Racheal Salvesen, Copperfields manager, says the residents have enjoyed the sessions and are now looking to sew in their spare time.
The workshops are funded by ROSA UK, a charity for women, and forms part of arts festival, POW!
For more information contact duncan.wilson@wkha.org.uk
Note: To read this and other case studies, go to the full report on our 'Focus on Dementia' webpages at: Going the Extra Step. A compendium of best practice in dementia care
The views expressed in this feature have been provided by the featured organisations and are not necessarily those of the Housing Learning and Improvement Network.
If you have any examples from your own organisation that you would like to share please send details to Katey Twyford and Wendy Wells, Housing and Dementia co-leads for the Housing LIN, dementia@housinglin.org.uk . We will be developing a compendium of best practice examples to go on the Housing LIN website.