Dementia - what do the carers want?

I'm not really Lona!

I have mentioned before that someone DH was at Uni with has dementia and his poor wife is really struggling to cope - they have no children and his brother has dementia too so his family are tied up with their own issues and no help. His wife is the gem.

The library committee are trying to entice people through the door and we have lots of stuffing on for children and their carers but little for anyone else.

kitty Good luck, you're a gem!

Hello kittylester I hope things are well with you. As you know I have done a lot of nursing in the community and there is a desparate need for what you are doing so I'm sure it will take off. My observations of couples in this situation is that card games and other types of board games possibly remembered from times past go down very well so perhaps an afternoon of games with some tea thrown in might be some light relief.

Good luck with it all- let us know how its going.

I have tried to keep reading going for a family member with dementia. Novels became impossible as he lost the ability to follow a storyline, but we've found that books of facts, probably aimed at 8-10 year olds, are a huge success and he gets absorbed. The info is in bite sized pieces, and there are lots of illustrations. Subjects like astronomy and the planet are great for him. The books are cheap and plentiful in the high street discount shops. We keep two or three out at a time to enjoy and rotate them from our stash. One of the very few 'benefits' of his dementia is that the books are new and interesting each time! I do appreciate that the subject matter wouldn't hold everyone's attention, but the principle might help others.

Good luck with the project kittylester.

GK, that's what we are aiming for.

Leicestershire - grannylyn, why?

Thanks for your input Nana3.

Hi kitty there is a new group in my local area for dementia people and their carers. I was listening to someone talking about it recently and I thought "Ooh, what a good idea" - the group has some entertainment or activities for the dementia people (e.g. singing) but then at the same time they also have a speaker for the carers (not necessarily about dementia, on this occasion it was a local author). So the objective is that both groups have some relaxation/activities in the same place.

Where are you!!??

My Mum used to love reading and went to the library every week. When she gave up going I gave her books. She gave up reading altogether when her dementia got worse.
The only time she went out of the house without me was to a council run day care centre. I'm thinking if your library could connect with a centre like that in some way, they might also have ideas about what would be useful. My Mum loved going there.
Nothing is done in her care home connected to reading.
My friend reads the local paper to her Dad, he enjoys that.
Good luck, hope the ideas come for you.