SPECKLED - Blog

Read aloud Poetry in dementia care

9/5/2018

As I went from resident to resident, reading aloud the well known children's poem, she followed me too. She sat at a distance and quietly listened. When I picked myself up to visit the next resident, she did so too, once again seating herself at a distance, sitting quite still as she listened along to The Owl and the Pussy cat again.
The use of poetry might seem counter intuitive, given that people with dementia lose their language, yet studies show that poetry enhances the exchange of people with dementia. From facial, verbal and other bodily responses, its' effect can be seen.
Reading aloud to people with dementia has been found to stimulate memories and imagination. Poetry has the potential to unlock memories and emotions, sometimes remembered as poems that were read by parents or grandparents, and sometimes as poems that people were woo-ed by or wed to!
Poetry recitation was part of the curriculum throughout schools up until about 1950. The response is more visible yet when you read poetry with a group of people living with early onset dementia. People read and recall along with you, mouths visibly moving to 'I wondered lonely as a cloud' by Wordsworth and laughing along quite heartily to the antics of the Triantiwontigongolope!

Healing words - A study of poetry interventions in dementia care.pdf
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Late stage dementia and sweet cravings

15/4/2018

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Food is a language that can unlock memories for a person living with dementia. From a young age, we begin associating memories and feelings to different dishes, as meals are one of the constants that bring us together as a shared human experience.

Many people with dementia experience weight loss as a result of appetite loss. Medical problems that cause weight loss in dementia can include: chronic infections, constipation, depression, medications, pain and thyroid disease. As the disease progresses, taste buds diminish (to as little as 10%), insulin levels in the brain drop, and some people experience intense cravings for high calorie foods.

Recently I've been focusing on providing visually appealing high calorie Trifles for my end of life, late stage dementia residents. Trifles are a dessert made with fruit, jelly, sponge, custard, cream and a dash of sherry. They were a popular dessert from the 1950's through to the 1980's. We have been making Trifles of different textures and flavours, from Madeira with mango jelly to Berry filled Jelly Roll with custard and cream combinations. To the delight of the residents, seated and watching as the trifles are assembled layer by layer, we have reminisced about trifles past; with or without sherry? With tinned fruits and flavoured jelly? For special occasions or regular family get togethers?
In addition to serving up high calorie treats, memories have been found and shared from a time when fridges were a new household item and desserts were made with blancmange, canned fruit and tinned cream.

Resident looking at a 1970's Trifle Recipe Card

Understanding late stage dementia and Caring for someone with dementia (Eating) help sheet

Understanding late stage dementia.pdf
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Caring for someone with dementia - eating.pdf
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1950's Reminiscing in Elderly Care

24/2/2018

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For the month of February, I have run a "Back to the 50's" program with my residents.
We've looked at 1950's headlines and remembered Elvis, Marilyn, The Space Race and The Queen's Coronation.
We've looked at Laurie Richards photo's from the 1950's and reminisced about laundry day, supermarket shopping, black & white television and the pace of life.
We've coloured in Blues, Soul and Rock and Roll colouring sheets as we've listened to Nina Simone and danced a little to Little Richard.
We finished up the month with famous weddings from the 1950's and remembered wedding days, wedding traditions and even wedding songs. One of the ladies shared a little rendition of 'Always.' It was the icing on the cake!

Days may not be fair Always,
That's when I'll be there Always.
Not for just an hour,
Not for just a day,
Not for just a year,
But Always.

Always, by Ella Fitzgerald

My 1950's reminiscing resources can be found HERE. Enjoy!

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Remembering 1950's everyday life

17/2/2018

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For the month of February, we went back to the 50's. We remembered Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, the Queen's Coronation, the 1956 Olympics, the space race and so much more. However, I found my residents were most engaged when our reminiscing of the 50's shifted from the news of the time to the everyday life. Perhaps these were the memories best preserved?
We used a selection of Laurie Richards photo's as visual prompts to start the stroll down memory lane.
Laurie Richards was an Australian commercial photographer from the 1950's to the 1970's. His photo's have been archived by Museums Victoria. As he was a commercial photographer, the setting is staged for product placement, from the hills hoist and lawn mowers, to type writers and televisions, making them a great reminiscence prompt for remembering everyday life from the 1950's.

Here are some of the memories found:
Laundry
“Monday was laundry day. The men went back to work, and the women to laundry.”
“You didn't wear high heels! It was barefoot with basket and you put everything all the way along the one line, then popped a stick up along the middle to lift the whole thing up.”
“We used starch to stiffen collars and doilies.”

Technology
“There were only three televisions in the whole street.”
“It was mostly news and it would finish by 10pm.”
“We didn't call it a record player, it was a gramophone!”

Customer Service
“I would give my list to the shop keeper then wait and chat with the neighbours while he went around the shop getting all the items.”
“They would fill the tank and check the tyres while you sat in the car and waited.”

A selection of Laurie Richards 1950's photo's.pdf
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Remembering The Scouts

9/2/2018

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It has been 108 years since the Boy Scouts were established. With the anniversary week celebrated from February 11th, this week we reminisced about the Scouting movement. With vintage photo's of scouts cleaning cars, shining shoes and even washing an elephant, we talked about “Bob a job” week, when scouts assisted the community for the payment of a bob to raise money for the Scouting Association.
One of my residents was a former local girls scout leader and her husband a boy scout leader. She brought along to our discussion group, a felted wool scout hat, neckerchief with woggle and a Scouting for boys book.
The residents were delight to hold each item and share their scouting memories, from camping, tying knots to the community spirit of the boys scouts. All were saddened that something that was once such a vibrant part of their communities growing up and raising families, has disappeared to ipads and lap tops.

With three fingers raised we signed off with the Scout Promise.

On my honour I promise that I will do my best -
To do my duty to God and to the Queen,
To help other people, and
To keep the Scout Law.

Bob a job vintage photos and merit badges.pdf
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Reminiscing about Cars

27/1/2018

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With a selection of Holden ad's from 1954 through to 1973, we reminisced and remembered Holden cars and cars of that era. We shared stories about road trips before seatbelts, first cars, price per gallon of fuel and all things driving, back in the day when men opened car doors, sisters were chaperoned and wives were chauffeured!

Here are some of the memories found:

“I never liked Holden cars. I worked for GM. We made Austin cars. Now that was a good car. We made 125 of them a day!”

“Dad had one of the first Holden's rolled off the line in Melbourne.”

“I had three brothers to drive me around. Mum didn't want me driving cars.”

“When we got married, my husband did all the driving, but once I got a licence, it was all me.”

“Dad had a burgundy car. He was so precious about it, that it was no pleasure to drive in at all.”

“Yes, I had a Holden Torana, 1973. It was mustard yellow!”

“I liked the Holden's, especially when they started making the sporty ones.”

Holden cars colouring sheet.pdf
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Puzzles in Dementia Care

23/1/2018

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When we think back to being kids, puzzles were a go-to for a good time. That's because when we are engaged in the process of putting together puzzles, dopamine (a feel good hormone) is released from the brain.

Currently I'm trialling puzzles at work with my dementia care residents. With Australia day as a theme this month, I've made up Australian animals laminated puzzles ranging from 4 to 12 pieces for my late onset dementia residents. Responses to the puzzles have ranged from completely disinterested, mildly amused to completely immersed.

“Ah, it's a kangaroo,” she said. This lady loves to knit. In a moment of downtime away from her knitting needles we talked about kangaroo's as we pieced together a 6 piece laminated puzzle.
Kangaroo's can jump three metres high and nine metres wide in one leap. She raised an eyebrow mildly amused.

This man lives with late onset dementia. He no longer understands the goal of activities but with step by step cuing, has some awareness of the task steps. I sat with him as we tried a four piece Emu puzzle. After I arranged the emu for him, he moved the pieces out then back in like a zooming lens, zooming out then back in for about 15 minutes, he was completely immersed in the activity. Our next puzzle will be an activity that he used to be interested in. As a young man he was a keen horse rider, so that will be a good place to start to tailor the activity more to his individual interests.

Australian Animals fun facts and photos for puzzle.pdf
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Purposeful occupation can help with reduction in agitation, physical and verbal outbursts and most importantly, promotes quality of life in our patients, especially those with middle and late stage dementia.

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Increasing the ability to recall life events in dementia care

6/1/2018

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"When we were growing up, dad grew flowers for the Easter show and my job was to count every petal on the smaller buds. He used to grow snow peas too, all along the side of the house. They grew all the way up to the roof!”

People’s artistic, imaginative and emotional responses can remain strong for years after the onset of dementia. As cognitive abilities deteriorate, creative inhibitions decrease too.
I've found this to be the case when I run my Fairy in a bell jar craft and was initially surprised by the number of men who were engaged by this activity (my residents are former war veterans.) Their frustrations and agitations would soon start to ease as we began by listening to Celtic fairy songs and smelling fresh flowers.
Colouring in is a childhood activity and an ability that many people remember and retain. Sometimes we finish up this activity with a little fairy themed poetry, but it's the stories that people share and remember along the way that is the real highlight of this childhood like reminiscence craft.

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Playful Engagement in Aged Care

16/12/2017

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Laughter really is the best medicine! It helps your blood vessels to relax and expand which increases blood flow to your brain and heart resulting in stress relief and improvements to your immune system, a reduction in aches, pains and reduced blood sugar levels!
Science aside, laughter establishes/ restores a positive emotional climate and a sense of connection between people. The SMILE study, conducted by UNSW found that bringing a smile to the face of an elderly person through playful interactions can significantly reduce agitation in nursing home residents.
Trialling imaginative ways of engaging with my residents is one of the favourite parts of my job. With the lead up to Christmas am employing props: Elf on the Shelf and fun photo booth props to take portraits of my residents. The responses have been positive and varied, from making people laugh and feel at ease, to residents playing puppet with the elf. A very positive experience for all!

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Engaging and Connecting through music in aged care

12/12/2017

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Our weekly art therapist begins every session with a small warm up activity. Recently she was showing residents black and white photos of vintage Hollywood stars. A few of the residents recognised the faces immediately and rattled off their names ... Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando....
One of the women quietly muttered "I'm no good at this stuff.” We were looking at a photo of Judy Garland. I started singing a tune from The Wizard of Oz . . . "We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz..."
Her face lit up, “yes, I remember this.”
Music is uniquely effective in helping us to remember as it creates a link to a person's past. This can help us to connect with people in the present.

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Creative ageing in aged care

29/10/2017

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People living in Aged Care are often there by necessity and not choice: when families fear leaving parents alone at home who can no longer carry out self-care tasks, such as bathing, dressing or eating. Not all people entering a nursing home are in a cognitive state compromised by dementia. All residents can find nursing homes to be lacking in mental stimulation. Studies have found some residents to spend up to 17 hours a day confined to a bed/ chair, with less than 10% of their time engaged in creative activities!
People tend to focus deeply during creative activities, become more present, and forget about aches, pains, and other things that would otherwise cause agitation.
The Creative Ageing theory states that being creative not only decreases agitation, it enhances general well being and quality of life through meaningful occupation and social engagement.

Who provides Creative Care in Aged Care?
One of the care strategies in residential aged care is to implement recreational activities to promote better quality of life and social engagement. Participating in these activities on an everyday basis can be utilized as part of a non-pharmacological treatment strategy to alleviate BPSD, as well as satisfy the basic human need for meaningful involvement in activities. These activities are carried out by Activity coordinators.

An Australian Study, by IP Demecs in 2015, found that many activity coordinators found that dementia itself can be a barrier to the implementation of activities. Only a few activity coordinators stated that creative activities should be used to overcome these barriers. Typically activity coordinators did not use creative activities for managing BPSD; they had other strategies such as one-to-one activity, redirection and alternative therapies such as massage to involve people with dementia in activities and improve apathy and withdrawn behaviour.

Creative ageing. Ilona Pappne Demecs.pdf
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The use of creative activities in dementia in residential aged care facilities in Australia: A cross-sectional descriptive study .
Ilona Pappne Demecs .

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Balloon tennis in elderly care

24/10/2017

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Frank Sinatra started to croon as I handed out a fly swatter to each of the ladies. Seated in a circle, they looked on amused as I blew up one decent sized confetti balloon. One shook it with both hands, asking how did they get the confetti in there!
I then balanced the balloon on my fly swatter before I hit it across the room. They stretched, swiped and swooshed the balloon with their swatters as we played tennis with it across the circle. Occasionally a leg would kick out to reach it. All exercised their vocal chords, hooting, laughing and singing along to the tunes. One of the ladies stood up during the game to dance slowly to a song, gently swirling her fly swatter to 'Don't fence me in'. The music had stirred some memories.
Balloon tennis in aged care, is an easy, social game, that's great for gross motor skills and suitable across different levels of cognitive and physical abilities. Even residents who can not participate in the game physically, can enjoy watching the game, following the balloon with their eyes.
Participation can help foster connections between residents and between staff and residents. It can lessen anxiety and make people living with Dementia feel more engaged with life. But most of all, it's fun!

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music therapy in dementia care

2/9/2017

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The power of music to unlock memories is a universal experience for all of us. When we engage in some activities, specific neural networks are activated, but when we listen to music, we engage all parts of our brain. Being saved in pockets all over the brain like confetti, music tied to memories remain with us well into our twilight years. Music therapy can be a way for people living with dementia to remember past memories. Love, loss, happiness and romance, can all be remembered in the playing of a song. Music can shift mood, manage stress and stimulate positive interactions.
Aged care facilities report that residents are happier, more engaged, and much calmer with the use of music therapy and that staff are able to create more meaningful relationships with patients. Combining music with art therapy can further enrich the experience.

This 1950's music reminiscence craft combines creating with music. Create and paint your own printable and play the corresponding play list for best results! www.speckled.com.au/printables

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1950's music memories

31/8/2017

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Huddled with ears glued to a radio or hunched over a record player, teenagers had never heard anything like it before. It was wild and free and ripped the dull fabric of life. They called it "Rock & Roll" and it quickly became an obsession and a way of life.
The power of music to unlock memories is universal. Colour or Paint in these 1950's singers and remember Rockabilly, Rhythm and Blues and the joy of Rock and Roll!

This series of Music and Memory printables includes 8 singing stars from the 1950's, from the boisterous Jerry Lee Louis and Little Richard through to the beautiful sounds of Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone. Accompany with playlist of the songs for best results!
www.speckled.com.au/printables

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collage and dementia care

18/8/2017

When people with dementia collage (with self selected cut outs from magazines), they often choose the same theme consistently. It's usually based on special memories and experiences from their past. For example, a mother may collage about children and family life. A former accountant may collage figures and numbers.
Creating collages can help us explore memories and messages from our inner world. Although dementia gradually robs one of memory, one's self of self and identity often remains.
This collage uses 1950's Vivian Maier street photography and vintage aspic and jelly recipes to encourage discussion around 50's life and cooking.

Dement Neuropsychol 2009 December; 3(4):299-302

remembering holden cars

30/7/2017

There was once a time in Australia, when man's patriotic identity depended on whether you were a ‘Ford Man’ or a ‘Holden Man.’
Keenly felt in suburban driveways, the era of the 6 cylinder muscle car had dawned. By the mid 1960's, flanked in twin fins and a wrap around windscreen, Holden led car sales in Australia by almost 3 to 1 over Ford.
Read about Australians’ love of Holden cars and colour in or paint your own Vintage Car place cards. Place on dining table at meal times and enjoy the bonus conversation starter jokes on the back!
www.speckled.com.au/printables

Princess Diana craft activity

27/7/2017

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Who am I?
I was twelve years younger and one inch taller than my husband to be. In 1981 we wed to a TV audience of millions. I wore a silk taffeta wedding dress, with 10,000 hand sewn pearls. Five extra wedding dresses were made, 27 cakes were baked, 30 choirboys sang, and even a chef was appointed to inspect every single cherry, currant, raisin and sultana that was to go into the wedding cake for perfect plumpness. It was to be nothing short of flawless. Sadly though fairytale weddings do not make for fairytale endings. My legacy lives on through my two sons William and Harry.

Bedazzle, colour in, paint and decorate this Princess Diana coat hanger cover and watch her glam up any wardrobe space

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Tupperware party reminiscence craft

18/7/2017

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Tupperware parties swept across America, Australia and the UK in the 1950's like a flash fire. Bell tumblers, wonder bowls and two-ounce midget containers become as common as television, telephones and hula hoops. Gatherings of suburban housewives nibbled on cream puffs and devilled eggs as they bought up a pastel palette of food storage containers.

Colour in or paint your own paper people Tupperware party guests and seat them onto a desktop, fireplace or shelf!
http://www.speckled.com.au/printables

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reminiscence art in aged care

17/7/2017

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Reminiscence therapy involves discussing and sharing past memories. With Alzheimer’s, memories are lost in reverse order. Memories formed most recently are more fleeting than those from many years ago. As caregivers in Aged Care, making yesteryear, not yesterday, the focus of conversation can give great comfort to residents with dementia, giving them a sense of value and peace.
Reminiscence Art is the creative process of exploring memories. One way is to use props such as everyday household items, clothing, old books, magazines and photos from the 1950's – 1980's as a means of triggering memories from the past, then running an art activity based on the vintage aide or prop.
Speckled provides a free printable activities resource for Aged Care facilities to use with their residents. Each printable comes with a story and a vintage themed craft activity to aide the stroll down memory lane.
http://www.speckled.com.au/printables

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paint your own floral place mats

5/6/2017

Avacado green, mission brown, wheat and retro orange were very popular colours in the 70's. They were used in carpets, curtains, homewares, fabrics and wallpapers. Orange was present in shades of burnt orange, coral, ochre and sunshine.
There was once a time when retro orange was a feature colour, used along shiny laminate bench tops, draped along curtains, wrapped around linen lampshades and printed all over wallpaper.

Do you remember retro orange?
Paint your own paper place mats with retro orange flowers and brighten up your dining space.

vera_neumann_flower_in_brown.pdf
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On Maternity Leave

23/11/2015

Christmas comes early for me this year as will be having baby number three very soon.
Whilst on maternity leave from Speckled, I will be checking email from time to time over the coming months, so feel free to contact me with any queries regarding art and craft classes in aged care in the New Year.
Merry Christmas and Happy holidays!

Velázquez: Las Meninas

15/11/2015

When you're walking through the silence of a white-walled art gallery and you stop to read the brief description next to a painting, it will tell you the when, where and who of it. It can be easy to miss the enormity of what's going on in some of those paintings. Recently I read that when Pablo Picasso was seventy five, he painted 58 versions of a 17th century painting by Velázquez: Las Meninas. Fifty eight!! What fascinated him so? It piqued my interest to delve a little further... and what interesting research it was, I ended up writing a piece on it.
Life before Facebook: Re-branding reality, it's been going on forever!
The corresponding craft activity for aged care residents will be a Las Meninas inspired napkin holder.

Remembering tea time

9/11/2015

For today's art class at a Sydney nursing home we crafted around the theme of remembering tea time. With a traditional set of tea cups from the 60's as props, we spoke about the popularity of flowers and roses as patterns on tea cups, and the gold paint trims that were popular at the time. As the ladies sipped their morning tea, we painted floral tea cups to use as bookmarks. Deep in concentration, the residents enjoyed seeing how a blob of pink paint can be turned into a rose, and how easily more details can be added to flowers and leaves to make them pop. All appreciated the little pompom tied around the teacup handle to page mark and leave out of the book.

tupperware reminiscence craft

14/9/2015

This weeks art class focused on the theme of remembering Tupperware and the foods that people made and stored in Tupperware containers in the 60's and 70's (like fruit in jelly.) One of the men shared a story about how his wife had bought and hosted many a Tupperware party, asking "can you still buy Tupperware today?"
As we painted our fruits in jelly, conversation flowed to other things people did in the 60's and 70's, like travelling to the Rainbow Valley in the Northern Territory to paint landscapes!

Toilet roll doll craft

10/8/2015

"I started painting at 88," mentioned one of the men at this weeks art class. He had been a food technologist in the past. He pointed out an abstract on canvas he was working on and spoke about how how he loved to paint in layers. He wasn't at all bothered that today we would be painting paper toilet roll dolls!
I passed my vintage crotchet toilet roll doll around and many remembered having these, or seeing these atop toilets in the 1950's and 60's. One of the ladies mentioned never liking their blank gaze, whilst another found them to be a very feminine way to disguise a toilet roll.
We painted in pastels, pink and blues, much like the colours of bathrooms of the 50's. As the tea man came round with tea and crackers he requested that all dolls be blonde as blondes have more fun, and all obliged in good spirits. Once our paper dolls were dry, we wrapped them around a toilet roll and all left happily with their practical and pretty craft doll in tow.