James Le Bec kept everyone engaged singing and dancing continuously for the whole hour. He also introduced a “name that tune” competition whereby who ever got the right answer had the opportunity to roll a huge yellow foam dice to win some chocolates. The members all thoroughly enjoyed the session and would like to see him once a month.
At the Britannia Centre today Ross and Michael Berg gave us a history of how Punch and Judy were formed. It started in 1662 and has been around for 350 years. They started as marionettes – puppets on strings and evolved to puppets we know today. The word ‘slapstick’ is derived from the sound of the stick that Punch carries around and uses on all the other characters with great abandon.
Ross and Michael then performed part of a show as an example. It was not possible to bring the full stage in the small time they had with us. We were very grateful with what they could share with us. There performance showed how much love and passion they have for Punch and Judy and the joy they have given to people of all ages.
On Sunday 25th September 2016 Finchley Memorial Hospital held a Community Day. There was Music, Dancing, Bouncy Castle, Face Painting etc. and local Barnet charities were invited to give advice and information. Dementia Club UK had a table and we passed out a number of our flyers and contact information. We also sold some jewellery which was donated to us.
Doris Ajayi clinical skills facilitator in Dementia care came to visit Dementia Club UK last April 2015 and in a recent email to Lisa she said, “I must let you know that my visit to you last April has inspired me, and it was through that inspiration that I am now opening Lindsey’s cafe at Barnet General Hospital.” Lindsey’s Cafe is open to elderly patients and patients with dementia, their carers, their families and relatives.
Doris invited Lisa to attend the launch on 22 September 2016. The cafe is on Level 3 corridor of Barnet General Hospital. The cafe is named after Lindsey Mckenna who is matron at the hospital where she has worked for the last 30 years.
Members were really looking forward to seeing Moshe again. This was our first session at Hendon Town Hall after the launch and we also celebrated 3 birthdays and the GB team doing so well in the Olympics. All the members enjoyed their dancing and singing to their favorite songs.
Following a request from members in a feedback meeting, members highlighted the difficulty of taking lots of different tablets when they are all provided in white. Shobhna Rokad a Medicines Management Pharmacist from Barnet CCG came to explain to members the reason why all tablets are manufactured in white. She explained it was mostly to do with the ‘E’ numbers for colouring as some people are allergic to these colours. She explained the difference between brands and generics. Shobhna also showed members a template to use to help them take their medication.
We were delighted to welcome London’s famous TV Antiques Expert Ian Towning to the Dementia Club UK Finchley Memorial Hospital venue. Members were interested to hear about Ian’s life growing up and his professional life on a day to day basis at his shop Bourbon Hanby in Chelsea and on Channel 4’s hit series, Posh Pawn.
Members had previously been asked to bring in some items to be valued and to Ian’s surprise the members did not let us down and had brought quite a number of interesting items. To some members astonishment they could not believe how valuable some of the items were.
There were some 18th century ink pads and pocket watches, some Victorian Jewellery and a gorgeous sapphire and diamond ring. In fact the member that brought the sapphire ring in was previously only offered a few hundred pounds, Ian said it was worth a lot more.
The chairman of Dementia Club UK Lisa, thanked Ian and his partner Les for attending today. Lisa said “Ian is a lovely person and the members really appreciated him staying for the whole session and interacting with all the members”.
Dr Rhonda Cohen and Professor Trish Hafford-Lecthfiled from Middlesex University have received funding from the Saracens Sports Foundation to evaluate the impact of exercise and other psychosocial activities on the well -being of people with dementia and their carers in a community based setting.
A fundamental aspect of the research will be to evaluate the support provided by Dementia Clubs as a service in the community. The latest Dementia Club is being launched today 28th July 2016 at Hendon Town Hall by the Mayor of Barnet, Councillor David Longstaff. Dementia Club UK is one of his chosen charities during his Mayoral year.
Dr Cohen said: “We’re very pleased that we’ve been awarded this funding by the Saracens Sports Foundation. While research has shown that regular exercise can increase fitness and physical functioning in people with dementia, our study will provide a better understanding of the specific impact of Dementia Club activities on people with dementia and their carers.
“The results of our study will help develop new services locally and nationally in the future. This is particularly important as we understand that a national charity called Dementia Club UK is being developed.”
Dementia is a condition characterised by decreases in cognitive functioning. The number of people with the disease will substantially increase as more people live longer. The number of people in the UK with dementia is expected to rise from 850,000 in 2015 to just over two million by 2051*. This will have an impact on the quality of life for those with dementia and on their families and carers.
All Together Better Burnt Oak a local community group that aims to reduce isolation and loneliness formed a partnership with Wood Court Care Home and put on a 3 day holiday event for seniors from Wednesday 3rd August to Friday 5th August.
Dementia Club UK was invited to setup a stall to provide information about dementia on Friday 5th August. Lisa also joined in with some of the activities with the residents.
