Page 3 : Introduction Page 4 : Singing for the brain Page 8 : History Page 9 : Looking Back Page 10 : Personal History Page 12 : Games and Toys Page 14 : TV Programmes Page 16 : TV Adverts Page 18 : Films

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Page 20 : Food Page 22 : Memory Box Page 24 : Sensory Activities Page 26 : Events and Celebrations Page 28 : Trips Page 30 : Jobs Page 31 : Things to consider Page 32 : Dementia Cafés

Page 34 : Sharing stories Page 35 : Reference Page 36 : Contact Us

This activities booklet is designed to help you and your team with supporting a person who has dementia or is in the early stages of dementia. People with dementia will be affected by changes in behaviour at different stages of their illness. This toolkit will give you practical ideas on activities, memory boxes, reminiscing and lots more. These suggestions are ideas for you to incorporate in your service where you feel it is appropriate. This is a starting point and you will no doubt develop many more of your own ideas.

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What is Singing for the Brain? Singing for the Brain is a service provided by Alzheimer's Society which uses singing to bring people together in a friendly and stimulating social environment. Singing is not only an enjoyable activity, it can also provide a way for people with dementia, along with their carers, to express themselves and socialise with others in a fun and supportive group. These activities build on the well-known preserved memory for song and music in the brain. Even when many memories are hard to retrieve, music is especially easy to recall. For more information visit: http://alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=760

Ideas to try: • Singing groups • Music sessions, made personal e.g. include person’s name in songs • Tongue twisters; “She sells sea shells…” • Songs/music from the past • Songs from shows • DVDs • Records/tapes Watch/listen to: • The Beatles • That’ll be the day • Grease • Spice Girls, Take That • Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath • Disney film songs 5

Song suggestions: • Que Sera, Sera (Whatever will be…) • Danny Boy • Dream Boats and Petticoats CD • She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain • It’s a Wonderful Life • Chas and Dave - Rabbit, Aint No Pleasing You • Duran Duran • Eurythmics • Adam Ant - ‘New Romantics’ • Smells like Teen Spirit - Nirvana • Celebration - Kool and the Gang • ‘Don’t you want me’ - The Human League • Heart of Glass - Blondie

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Song suggestions: • ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It!’ • Pack Up Your Troubles • Roll Out the Barrel • On Ilkley Moor bar t’ ‘at • Michael Row the Boat Ashore • My Guy • Rescue Me • Do Wha Diddy Diddy • Beegees - Staying Alive • Spice Girls • Madonna • Otis Reading

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• Big news events • Political events • Music and popular culture • History of people in power; Prime Minster, The Royals • ‘War of the Worlds’ radio broadcast • Explore old money • Changes in technology • Changes in culture

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Attend reminiscence sessions to talk with others affected by dementia. • Shared memories groups • Share stories from the past • Visit museums • Local heritage groups • Do you remember when? posters • Use black and white photographs • Using local shops - bric a brac shops, jumble sales

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Knowing the person’s history and past experiences to research previous interests using: • Family photos, discuss family life • Shared history - places/towns, shared experiences • Personal dates: religious festivals, ask how people spent them • Birthdays - rituals, traditions • Other activities: trip of their lifetime, childhood hobbies • Places important to them: church, birthplace, landmarks • Personalised memory books/ life books • Photo albums and photographs on their wall • Familiar smells! Sensory smell kits • Record in support plan/person centred plan

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• Knitting Nancy • Finger Bob puppets • Sewing • Peg people • Stamp collecting • Puzzles • Art; paper chains, pompoms • Rhyming • Nursery rhymes • Slang • Times table reciting • Favourite magazines/comics – The Beano, Dandy, Jackie • Childhood annuals – Secret Seven, Famous Five

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Introduce and play with some of these games and toys from the past. You don’t need to follow the rules, just explore the pieces, throw the dice etc. Car-boots, online or charity shops are good places to buy these games. • Ludo • Snakes and Ladders • Scrabble • Cluedo • Dominoes • Monopoly • Bridge • Frustration • Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes • Marbles • Chess

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• Card games - Pairs, Happy Families, Old Maid and Snap • Furby • Yoyo • Hop-scotch • Barbie/Cindy • Action figures - Action Man, Spiderman etc • Hair growing doll • Conkers • Puzzles • Train sets • ‘Eye’ spy • Bingo

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Watch and reminisce about popular TV shows from the past. Find out which ones were the persons’ favourites: • Bill and Ben • Andy Pandy • Postman Pat • Button Moon • Blue Peter • Klangers • Magic Roundabout • Top of the Pops • Rainbow • Bagpuss • Every Night at the London Palladium • The Royal Variety Show • The Good Old Days • Grange Hill • 3,2,1

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• Dad’s Army • Cosby Show • Bullseye • Porridge • Only Fools and Horses • A-Team • Baywatch • Morecambe and Wise • Lassie • Neighbours • Coronation Street • EastEnders • Brookside • Generation Game • Doctor Who • Little House on the Prairie • Starsky and Hutch

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To be found and viewed via YouTube • A Mars a Day….. - Mars Bars http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE9zAummq7Q

• For hands that do dishes can be soft as your face - Fairy Liquid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_qagTfJHao

• ‘For Mash get Smash’ - Smash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBRCZLzn5pM

• ‘The Milky Bars are on me!’ - Milky Bar Kid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YayqNv_RcE4

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To be found and viewed via YouTube • Frosties…Theirrr Grrreat! - Kellogg's Frosties http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSc5g9m8ywI • ‘Watch Out, There’s a Humphrey About!’ - Unigate Milk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEE0wI1kIG0 • I bet she wears Harmony Hairspray - Harmony Hairspray http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzbvqW_dOwY

• Monkey Adverts - PG Tips http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmmE_h60rjk

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Watch and reminisce about films from the past (Video cassettes were used mostly in the 80’s and 90’s, DVDs had not been invented yet) • James Bond • Disney – Snow White, Lady and the Tramp, Cinderella • Oliver • The Wizard of Oz • “Carry On” Films • Star Wars • Dr Zhivago • Pulp Fiction

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• Sound of Music • Goodnight Mr Tom • Chitty Chitty Bang Bang • My Fair Lady • Annie • Seven Brides for Seven Brothers • Meet me in St Louis • Railway Children

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Changes over the years around food: • Packaging and wrapping on food • Village stores • Prices • Loose foods/Scoop shops • Milkman, Butcher, Green Grocer • Cooking equipment, hand mixers, ovens • Different parts of the country have different names for food

People have experienced different

• Spam

• Corned beef

• Tinned milk

• Liver and onion

• Suet pudding

• Bread and dripping

• Quiche

• Burgers

• Semolina

• Jelly

• Dandelion and Burdock

• Tinned milk

• Fish and chips (in newspaper)

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Memory Boxes can be a conversation starter…

Tactile objects for Memory Box: • Old newspapers and comics • Radios shows • Board games • Old money • Photographs of themselves, family, friends, previous homes

previous homes • Updated picture of themselves • Favourite objects

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• Action figures - Cindy/Barbie • Teddy from when they were a child • Smells - perfume/scent reminders • Music • Fashion • Important jewellery • Certificates/achievements/awards • Souvenirs • Sock puppet • School badges • Old skills - crocheting, knitting • Rag rugs 23

• Smells e.g. Lavender, Geranium, Lemon, Orange, Rose • Old smells e.g. Old Spice, • Relaxation music • Reflexology • Sensory cooking – kneading dough, smelling bread • Cigars/Pipe • Sensory stimuli that represents activities e.g. golf ball for golf • Using sensory activities to connect memories for people • Toys from the past (relevant to person’s age) • Sensory stories/ book bags - create your own personal story

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• Pamper sessions • Sensory items • Massage • Indian head massage • Aromatherapy • Foot Spa • Beauty sessions • Hand waxing • Textures

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• Birthdays • Weddings • Anniversary • St Patricks Day • Easter • Halloween • Christmas • Other religious events and celebrations • Queens Jubilee/royal wedding • Football (World Cup) • Tennis • Flower shows • Carnivals

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• Outdoor activities: pools and seaside • Social history and news: royals, major events • Rituals and routines on important dates • Fetes • Firework shows • Air shows/ Shuttleworth • Music festivals • Glen Miller (Twinwoods)

• Transfer items from the home to make trips and holidays more familiar • Diary/communication books can be made accessible with picture collages • Recording recent activities/events will help aid short term memories Places to go: • Garden Centres • Parks • Holidays • Swimming parks • Day trip to seaside – donkey rides, sand, fish and chips,

bucket and spade, rock pooling/crabbing • Penny arcades • Zoo/Safari Park

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• Discos • 70’s 80’s nights • Blackpool lights • London • Pantomimes • Going to shows – That’ll be the day, Dream Boats and

Petticoats, Wizard of Oz, Sound of Music • Going to see tribute bands – Abba, Queen, Elvis • Picnics • Fairgrounds • Canal boat • Familiar/Favourite places

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• Regular jobs e.g. laundry, cleaning, cooking; making a salad • Rituals and routines - carry them on • Photo cleaning rota or photo schedule - photograph people doing house work • Sharing old skills and learning skills from people • Crochet, knitting, darning clothes • Supermarket/café/garden centre/basic office work jobs

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• Wrapping on food has changed • Changes in toiletries - bar of soap rather than shower gel • Shaving - wet shave at the barbers • Washing detergents - big boxes of powder rather than the tablets/gel • Appliances - toasters/microwaves may seem strange to some people • Testing sessions – to see if using things from the past will promote personal memories • Food tasting sessions

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Dementia Cafés provide a safe, comfortable and supportive environment for people with dementia and their carers to socialise. As well offering a range of fun and engaging activities, Dementia Cafés give both carers and people with dementia a chance to get information and advice and talk to other people with similar difficulties. Led by qualified specialists and supported by local volunteers, these regular social groups improve well-being and reduce isolation for whole families. New friendships are often formed and people who attend leave the sessions feeling like they have a better quality of life. -Taken from alzheimers.org.uk

For more information visit: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=2019&pageNumber=3

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• Look on Alzheimer's website to see where they are located in your area • Look at Aylesbury, Banbury, Abingdon and Warrington.

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/custom_scripts/branch.php?branch=true&branchCode=14116

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• Matching people of a similar age, to perhaps enjoy some time together. • Staff who have experience of working with people with dementia to share stories • Sharing stories in The Mag • Watching MacIntyre Stories films • At the Dementia Special Interest Group Meetings

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To keep up to date and get more ideas: Noticeboards – Dementia, Great Interactions E-Learning Module- A Facilitative Approach: Getting Communication Right Signing resources

Copyright© MacIntyre 2014. All rights reserved.

602 South Seventh street Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire MK9 2JA

01908 230100

www.macintyrecharity.org great.interactions@macintyrecharity.org @GrtInteractions MacIntyre Charity

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