Arts and Minds: Dementia Friendly Communities

Background Living Well with Dementia: A National Strategy (2009)  Improved Awareness and Understanding  Earlier diagnosis  Higher quality of care  Prime Minister David Cameron’s Challenge on Dementia (2012)  “ the quiet crisis”  Three main areas of focus: 1. Dementia Friendly Communities 2. Research into dementia 3. Improving quality of health and social care

Facts about Dementia  750,000 people living with a dementia in the UK  By 2025 there will be over one million  The cost of dementia in the UK is £20 billion a year and rising.  2/3 of people with dementia live in their own homes  1/3 live in care homes  1 in 4 people in hospital have dementia  Plymouth : 3000 people with a dementia, set to rise by 40% in the next years. * Information from the Alzheimer’s Society

What are Dementia Friendly Communities? Ian Kenneth Grant Sherriff M.A. D.M.S. C.Q.S.W. Dip Cll Academic Partnership Lead for Dementia School of Social Science and Social Work University of Plymouth Plymouth The need to develop Dementia Friendly Urban and Rural Communities, which recognise the great diversity among individuals with dementia and their carers, promotes their inclusion in all areas of community life, respects their decisions and lifestyle choice, anticipates and responds flexibly to their dementia related needs and preferences. (Ian Sherriff 2012)

Building Dementia Friendly Communities: A priority for everyone  Involvement with people with Dementia  Challenge stigma and build understanding  Accessible community activities  Acknowledge potential  Ensure an early diagnosis  Practical support to enable engagement in community life  Community based solutions  Consistent and reliable transport options  Easy to navigate environments  Respectful and responsive businesses and services Report : 2013: Alzheimer’s Society

The history of Community Outreach and older people at PCMAG Established in 2005 with Renaissance funding: 2 Officer Posts and a van!

Creation of the Reminiscence Service -Over 250 care, residential and nursing homes on the books -Fortnightly sessions at Mount Gould Hospital rehabilitation ward. -Hospices, Stroke Groups, Day centres, memory cafés, specialist dementia units.

What is Reminiscence?  Reminiscence work is person-led and not object-led. The objects are only important in so far as they relate to some aspect of remembered life- experience, and act as a trigger for some form of positive engagement.  Reminiscence work advocates a multi- sensory and inclusive approach, defining objects in the broadest meaning of anything presented to the senses or the mind.

Giant Reminiscence Events Yearly event at the Museum and Art Gallery. Music, cake, objects and memories. Library events, county shows, city festivals, older peoples’ events.

Remember Me : Strand one  Two part project ( ) -Evaluation research and report into health and wellbeing benefits of reminiscence Analysis revealed three key benefits of reminiscence that:  reminiscence enhanced their feelings of happiness.  negative feelings towards the past decreased.  confidence to share memories increased after the session.

Remember me: Strand two  Training healthcare sector workers, students and job seekers aged 50+ (funded by Jobcentre Plus) in object handling and reminiscence for people with dementia.

CPD Training for officers  Arts4dementia best practice conference and arts facilitators course  Age Exchange Creative Reminiscence and Dementia course  Stroke Association, Active Communication course  Dementia Champion training, Alzheimer’s society.

The idea for Arts and Minds was born…  PCC and the Western Locality of the NEW Devon Clinical Commissioning group were successful in applying for funding from Dep’t Health for Dementia Friendly City Work  New Arts and Heritage service starts to look outwards for new funding and partnerships to deliver services. Partnership, led by Arts and Heritage Service and  Alzheimer’s Society, Plymouth  Age UK  Arts for Health Cornwall  Plymouth Visual Arts Consortium  P.D.D.A ( Plymouth Dementia Action Alliance)  Stoke Damerel Secondary School  Memory Service at Mount Gould Hospital (Diagnosis Centre)

Aims of Arts and Minds To develop a regular and sustainable programme of heritage and arts based activities that make a wide reaching and positive contribution to Plymouth’s aspiration to become a Dementia Friendly City. To understand through action research how we can improve the creative and cultural provision to people living with a dementia and their carers in Plymouth. To raise awareness of dementia, tackle stereotypes and reduce stigmatizing attitudes and behavior towards the illness.

The Arts and Dementia  “To be creative is to draw on one's lived experiences and transform them into something new. Creative expression is important for everyone, but it is even more important for those with dementia for whom other avenues of self-expression can be severely limited." - Anne Davis Basting and John Killick, The Arts and Dementia Care Resource Guide, 2009  Improve cognition function, memory, creative thinking, enjoyment of life and the external and internal stigmas of living with the disease.  Alzheimer’s Disease normally spares the creative parts of the brain related to creativity, creative expression and emotions.  Tackle social isolation. 47% surveyed felt they were no longer part of the community, this figure lowers considerably the more advanced the dementia. ( Building Dementia Friendly Communities Report)

Up to date research  Reawakening the Mind, Evaluation of London Arts Challenge 2012: Arts interventions to re-energise and inspire people in the early stages of dementia and their carers. Veronica Gould London Arts Challenge 2012  Paris research to follow and portrait exhibition

What people want in Plymouth Our research locally has identified : Improve our offer for older people with dementia not yet in formal care. There is a lack of arts based opportunities for older people compared with support services like befriending. There are people with the early stages of dementia identified by the memory service as potential beneficiaries of this work There are larger numbers of isolated older people living in the Plymouth suburbs ‘asset rich, cash poor’ than the inner city. Activity needs to be regular Activities should also include opportunities for the carers We need decent tea and biscuits!

Where we are now  Secured funding from Adult Social Care for one year pilot at the museum.  A committed steering group -Memory service nurses vital for referrals -Alzheimer’s society support workers -Over 20 volunteers signed up from a variety of useful backgrounds  Working closely with the Health Librarian to deliver memory corners in community libraries  All this based upon the bedrock of 10 years of in house delivery.

Useful reading  Reawakening the Mind, Evaluation of London Arts Challenge 2012: Arts interventions to re-energise and inspire people in the early stages of dementia and their carers. Veronica Gould  Building Dementia Friendly Communities: a priority for everyone. Alzheimer’s Society  An Evidence Review of the Impact of Participatory Arts on Older People, Mental Health Foundation  Good Times; Art for Older People at Dulwich Picture Gallery, 2010  Creativity and Communication in persons with Dementia, a practical guide. John Killick and Claire Craig, 2012

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