Dementia care is incredibly important, even in the early stages. Living with dementia can be challenging, having a substantial effect on a person’s cognitive abilities; this can cause frustrations and emotions can run high.
Someone with dementia can struggle to express themselves with words and may find it hard to have conversations, but the imaginative and emotional part of the brain is usually still very active, so giving them a creative outlet to express themselves can be extremely beneficial for their mental and emotional health. Both art and storytelling are great ways to keep care home residents engaged and keep their brains active!
So, we at Ivonbrook have decided to combine the two and our residents have created an incredible storybook. This all began with our Darley Hall residents making sock bunnies as an activity.
Dementia Care – Motor Skills Practise
This activity allowed residents to practice their fine motor skills, while also allowing them to be creative and have fun. Once finished, the residents started to act out a story, our lovely activities coordinator Kayleigh then wrote this story down.
The residents then began to make beautiful watercolours during their Monday and Thursday Art for Wellbeing sessions, and through these sessions, the book started to take form. The book will be professionally printed and provided for the residents so they can see their own creation in physical form, while the original artworks will be kept in the home to treasure for years to come.
This book will not only give the residents something to look forward to but will also give each of them a sense of accomplishment. This sense of accomplishment will have a positive impact on their self-image and self-esteem.
Here is a sneak peek of what is to come:
We hope that the residents are happy with the finished project and are as proud of themselves as we are of them!
For more information regarding the activities, we run at Ivonbrook and Darley Hall give us a call on 01629735306 or check out the Ivonbrook Facebook page to see what the residents have been up to recently.
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