Tag Archives: alzheimers

Churches become dementia friendly

August 24, 2013   Alzheimer’s, Carers, dementia

Move to give recognition to dementia-friendly churches

7:00am Saturday 24th August 2013 in News  By Fran Bardsley, covering Education, East Oxford and Cowley. Call me on 01865 425439

The Rev Joanna Collicutt at St Mary’s Church in Witney, which has a room where older people meet.

OXFORDSHIRE churches which make themselves welcoming to dementia sufferers could be recognised in a new award scheme.

Just as churches which offer events, services and support for young people and children can be accredited as youth and child-friendly or family-friendly churches, the idea is that Anglican churches in the Diocese of Oxford meeting certain criteria could receive dementia-friendly church awards.

The idea is the brainchild of the Rev Dr Joanna Collicutt, who is the Spiritual Concern for Older People adviser for the diocese.

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It is in part inspired by Prime Minister David Cameron‘s dementia-friendly communities initiative launched a couple of years ago.

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New Admiral Nurse deliver extra dementia support in Norfolk

August 22, 2013   Alzheimer’s, Carers, dementia, Norfolk

Patients living with dementia and their carers are receiving more support

Norfolk's first Admiral Nurse, Zena Aldridge. Picture: Denise Bradley Norfolk’s first Admiral Nurse, Zena Aldridge. Picture: Denise Bradley

Adam Gretton Health correspondent adam.gretton@archant.co.uk
Thursday, August 22, 2013
6:30 AM

Patients living with dementia and their carers are receiving more support following the recruitment of Norfolk’s first Admiral Nurses.

The county’s first specialist dementia nurses have begun working in the mid Norfolk area to help dementia patients after Dementia UK and Age UK Norfolk joined forces for a two year pilot scheme.

Zena Aldridge became the county’s first Admiral Nurse in April after the two charities received £60,000 from the People’s Health Trust.

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The magical melodies bringing back memories Alzheimer's stole

August 20, 2013   Alzheimer’s, Carers, dementia

OLGA LOWE should have so many memories after starring alongside Richard Burton in Where Eagles Dare, working with Harpo Marx and high-kicking with Carmen Miranda.

By: Jane Symons

 As Gary King sings the opening bars of Love Me Tender, Olga recalls the words and joins him
She entertained troops during the Second World War, was on stage with Sid James when he died of a heart attack in 1976 and has even been part of an EastEnders love triangle.However, Alzheimer’s has stolen Olga’s past and left the 93-year-old trapped in a twilight world where there is no concept of time, let alone of those extraordinary times gone by.She is still able to recognise her husband Keith Morris but she cannot always recall his name.

She has no idea who the prime minister is and the name Kate Middleton means nothing. To her it could be the Thirties, when she toured the US as a showgirl, or the Swinging Sixties when she appeared in The Avengers.

Yet at the Gallions View nursing home in London where Olga lives that fog of forgetfulness begins to lift as soon as Elvis impersonator Gary King steps into the dementia unit and starts his set, which she matches word for word.

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