story
How a game of pairs helped gauge grandad’s dementia
Written by Rebecca Lenton This week’s storyteller is Caroline. Caroline shares how a creating a personalised game of pairs for her grandad has helped him recall his family as his memory fades. About two and half years ago grandad had a mini stroke which catalysed the onset of his vascular dementia. His recovery was slow […]
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Autumn outings soothe mum’s dementia
This week’s storyteller is Hannah Davies. Hannah shares how she’s learnt to embrace the changes in her mum’s health as her dementia progresses. Autumn has arrived for my seaside town, and whilst we still get a sunshine filled morning or afternoon there’s no mistaking that the temperature is dropping along with the leaves. I notice […]
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Dementia, creativity and napkins… yes napkins!
Written by Rebecca Lenton A chance discovery by textile artist Deirdre Nelson has led to a valuable therapy for dementia patients in the form of napkin folding. Whilst creating artworks for Brunelcare’s new Saffron Gardens dementia care home Deirdre noticed that residents were often fascinated by the textured edges of items. In particular they would […]
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Dad, dementia and connecting through art
Written by Rebecca Lenton This week’s storyteller is Ro Lavender. Ro tells us how watercolour painting brought her closer again to her father, Peter Scott, after advancing dementia had caused a collapse in communication between them. My dad was an architect and a very capable and independent individual. He was a practical man who always […]
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When helpers become the enemy
This week’s storyteller is Sally.After years of being his wife’s carer, Sally’s father began to believe that everyone coming into his home wanted to poison him or steal his treasures. In this first part of her story, Sally describes how her father slipped into delusional paranoia and how his family struggled to help. After more […]
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When saving stuff becomes hoarding
This week’s storyteller has chosen to be anonymous. A lifetime’s tendency to keep stuff just in case can reach epic proportions in old age. Is it a problem? When we visit H’s aunt these days, we’re not invited across the threshold to her flat. We were when she first moved in, although even then it […]
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Safe exercise in later life expands horizons
Our friend Kevin Morgan (aka FitOldDog) tells us how his training injury and other health issues, including an abdominal aortic aneurysm, led him to leave his career in science to set up Old Dogs in Training LLC. He shares his advice for exercise in later life and talks about ways to improve your parent’s mind […]
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Banishing the fear of falling with reflexology
Written by Amanda Weller This week’s storyteller is Amanda.Amanda Weller tells us how her reflexology knowledge has helped a friend, who’d become fearful of falling, to take back control of her feet and start living again. I have a lovely ninety-year-old friend who lives in Cornwall. She loves reflexology but I don’t get my hands […]
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The plight of Parkinson’s
Written by Rebecca Lenton In honour of Parkinson’s Awareness Week 2013 we have a special story from the grandchild of Britain’s leading 20th-century naval historian whose death marked the loss of a great man who gave his all as a naval officer, father, grandfather and historian. Parkinson’s made him pay the price for his amazing […]
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In, out, shake it all about
This week’s storyteller has chosen to be anonymous.AKA the endless saga of life with and without a catheter. An eurgh yuk ow sort of story. This is a story that began back in the days before I started paying attention. In those golden years when my parents could get in the car and drive themselves […]
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