When carers at a Grimsby care residence identified out that one particular of the female residents, aged 96, utilised to be a competitive ice dancer, they place on their skates. With the support of the local rink, they took their charge out on the ice, so she could expertise the feeling of freedom after again.
Tony Jameson-Allen smiles at the considered. “Using sport to engage and interest elderly folks with memory troubles is a fantastic way to assist them feel alive once again,” he says. Jameson-Allen, a former psychiatric nurse, and his colleague Chris Wilkins are behind a social enterprise called Sporting Memories Network, which uses recollections of sport to aid people living with dementia and their care teams.
Sporting Recollections Network is a nominee in the Alzheimer’s Society’s initial Dementia Friendly Awards, sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group and supported by The Telegraph, whose winners will be announced tomorrow. The awards recognise organisations and individuals that aid to make their spot more dementia-pleasant.
In 4 years, the social enterprise has educated and supported volunteers in much more than 200 organisations, and been backed by bodies this kind of as the British Racing Drivers’ Club and the Expert Footballers’ Association. It has had recollections “donated” to its site by sporting stars such as David Coulthard and Liz McColgan.
“Using sport as the concentrate for reminiscence-primarily based activities for older people has been very common, especially amongst males,” says Jameson-Allen. “We get them together for 90 minutes once a week… We use photographs and images to stimulate recollections, and even serve Bovril and meat pies at half time.
“Every week, we publish a version of the classic Saturday paper Pink ’Un. We extra a spot-the-ball competition, and discovered that females had been notably keen. It appeared numerous women had a shared memory of not currently being allowed to fill these in, as husbands liked to mark exactly where the ball must be.”
Groups are even led by former sports activities stars. In Bristol, for illustration, former county cricketer Phil Bainbridge and former Bristol Rovers players Peter Aitken and Tom Stanton lead meetings.
At Memories Video games (held by cricket, football, and rugby union and league clubs), fans celebrate club background although raising awareness of dementia. In August, for instance, England v India ODI at Glos Cricket Club is designated a Memories Game.
“We’ve discovered older men and women would rather speak about which pub they went to on match day, rather than discussing subjects of reduction such as the War,” says Jameson-Allen.
“Sport doesn’t normally hold damaging memories – they centre on community, humour and friendship instead.”
www.sportingmemoriesnetwork.com
alzheimers.org.uk/dementiafriendlyawards
Sporting Recollections Network: How sport assists us hit Alzheimer"s for 6
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