Dementia

Arts, Music and Dementia by Sarbjit Kaur

On the 13/14th April, Sikhs all around the world celebrate Vaisakhi and a procession called 'Nagar Kirtan' led by five Khalsa proceeds through public spaces. Vaisakhi marks the inauguration of the Khalsa, the body of committed Sikhs who have decided to dedicate their lives to the values of the Sikh Gurus. The Khalsa meaning "pure sovereign" was founded to create a group of people who were prepared to stand up to

2019-05-22T08:30:01+01:0022nd May 2019|Blog, Dementia, Dementia Awareness Week|

The Nickel Silver Cutlery set with the Numbers

There’s a set of cutlery from 1950, with the embossed numbers hammered in. It represents my fathers RAF National Service, over 2 years spent as a 20 year old young man straight from College. Like his tools he made at English Electric in Thornbury after National Service that as an Apprentice, or the Morris Dancing hat and bells, or the songbooks from his years in the Folk music world,

2022-09-16T14:25:23+01:0021st May 2019|Blog, Dementia, Dementia Awareness Week|

A Vision for Dementia at Touchstone by Alison Lowe

Touchstone is proud of the contribution we make to the city-wide Leeds Dementia Strategy. There are an estimated 8,500 people living with dementia in Leeds, of whom just over 6,400 have a diagnosis.  Since 2013, the number of people with a dementia diagnosis in the city has increased by 40%. Touchstone, along with other charities, local people and communities has risen to the challenge to make Leeds a dementia-friendly place

2019-05-20T08:30:09+01:0020th May 2019|Blog, Dementia, Dementia Awareness Week|

My experience working with Hamari Yaadain Dementia Cafe

As my time working for Touchstone comes to an end, I have been reflecting on my experience here and the things I have learnt. When I first started here last year, I had just finished university and this was my first paid experience working in a charity organisation. I remember being nervous and excited about all the aspects of my new job, but I was particularly wondering how I might

2020-04-17T10:58:57+01:0031st August 2018|Blog, Dementia|

Hamari Yaadain Dementia Café Health and Wellbeing Workshops with Phoenix

In April this year Touchstone BME Dementia Service partnered with Phoenix Health and Wellbeing to provide a year of massage therapy sessions for our Dementia Café members. Once a month, we have two therapists from Phoenix join us for an hour at the Café, and they provide a variety of different workshops for our group. Phoenix’s Health and Wellbeing sessions at our Dementia Café have been absolutely brilliant and the

2020-04-17T10:58:49+01:0015th August 2018|Blog, Dementia|

Interwoven Histories – Animation and poetry workshops with Leeds Irish CHIME Group

As part of our Celebrating Age ‘Interwoven Histories’ project, Pavilion and Touchstone's BME Dementia Service partnered with Leeds Irish Health and Homes’ CHIME Art Group to deliver a three part workshop focusing on the groups ‘first impressions’ of Leeds when many of them migrated to England from Ireland. Prior to the workshops, Teresa who runs the CHIME group had encouraged everyone to write about, draw and collect photos and objects

2020-04-17T10:58:41+01:0025th July 2018|Art, Blog, Celebrating Age, Dementia, Partnership|

Oh, we do like to be beside the seaside!

Hamari Yaadain Dementia Café visited Hornsea for a day of relaxation, delicious food and time to enjoy the beach. We arrived just before lunchtime and stopped at a little café, where we shared food prepared by some of our group members. A feast of samosas, chapattis, curry and an array of homemade chutneys! Members of the group shared their homemade recipes and discussed different ways of cooking from their varied

2020-04-17T10:58:53+01:0025th July 2018|Blog, Dementia|

Dementia or Jinns?

My friend’s uncle has been displaying a lot of unusual behaviours which are totally out of character. He believes his daughter is his wife who passed away a few years ago. He does not recognise his family members’ true identity at all – he refers to his son as though it is his brother and his other daughter as though it is his sister.  It is obviously a very difficult

2020-04-17T10:56:45+01:0026th May 2018|Blog, Dementia, Dementia Awareness Week|

Cromwell Mount Becoming Dementia Friendly

Dementia is something we all need to be aware of at Touchstone as it can affect all of our lives.  Although most of the service users who access Cromwell Mount do not have a Dementia diagnosis we recognise that not everyone displays the symptoms or disclose if they do. To ensure that we are in full support of anyone in this situation we are now well on our way to

2020-04-17T10:56:38+01:0025th May 2018|Blog, Dementia, Dementia Awareness Week|

What is Dementia and How Can We Support People with Dementia?

You may be aware that in Touchstone we have Dementia Champions linked to our main sites. I am the Dementia Champion for Haslewood Drive offices and the Touchstone IAPT team where we offer treatment for people experiencing common mental health services, with a focus on patients from BAME and marginalised communities. We think about dementia in our decision making as it can present a lot like depression. It is estimated

2020-04-17T10:56:36+01:0024th May 2018|Blog, Dementia, Dementia Awareness Week|