Over the last year we have been delighted to work with The Baring Foundation to create a treasury of arts activities for older people. This consists of 50 activities to be used in any setting with older people and includes contributions from some of the leading artists and organisations creating work with, by and forContinue reading “Treasury of Art Activities for Older People”
Category Archives: Older People
Looking Forward – New Year’s Resolutions
Do you like making New Year’s resolutions? For many people the start of a new year offers a tangible point in time to look forward, and to think about where they want to head next. For those of us working creatively with older people, in particular those living with dementia, life can be busy toContinue reading “Looking Forward – New Year’s Resolutions”
Thinking About Reminisence
In all of the work that we do in The Storybox Project we use themes as a starting point supported by a variety of music, props and costume. We create sensory and fun experiences where games are played and stories are made up to encourage togetherness, improve concentration and lift mood. The emphasis of theContinue reading “Thinking About Reminisence”
Working Without Words
When working with people living with dementia the reality is that many of the participants that you engage with may be experiencing varying degrees of difficulty with verbal communication. In the later stages of dementia this may reach the point where people no longer have any level of communication in a verbal sense. This couldContinue reading “Working Without Words”
Thinking About… Working With Older People
It is a brilliant development that it is increasingly common to come across creative projects specifically targeting older people. Be it a music project collaborating with a professional orchestra or a craft project in a local church hall, it is now much easier to find participatory work focussed in this area. But what do weContinue reading “Thinking About… Working With Older People”
Taking A Thematic Approach
From early on in The Storybox Project we began to realise the benefits of taking a thematic approach to our creative work. In the simplest terms this means giving a theme to each workshop or activity and using it as a starting point. This is a way of working that we have found brings aContinue reading “Taking A Thematic Approach”
Creative Ideas For Keeping Cool
Hot summer weather is a real treat but it can also be an uncomfortable and unsettling time for people who are living with dementia. Alongside all the standard advice for keeping cool how can you use the creative activities that you are planning to help the people you support feel as calm and comfortable asContinue reading “Creative Ideas For Keeping Cool”
Working One To One
Image credit: James Mulkeen Working with groups is central to our work on The Storybox Project, but when supporting people living with dementia engaging people working one to one is also really important. This can be particularly true in carehomes where some residents may be too unwell to leave their room, especially those who areContinue reading “Working One To One”
Creative Approaches to Person Centred Care
Image credit: Roshana Rubin Mayhew When there are so many different ways to engage older people in residential and daycare settings what are the benefits of choosing to take a creative approach by using the arts as a starting point? Evidence shows that the arts can have a direct and positive impact on the healthContinue reading “Creative Approaches to Person Centred Care”
Setting The Scene – How to prepare for a workshop or activity.
The way you prepare for a session and set it up can be just as important as the activities that you run during the session. These tips and ideas are all worth considering as you are getting ready to go!