
BUDI’s January 2016 Newsletter

Latest research and knowledge exchange news at Bournemouth University
On 25th November, Dr Fiona Kelly attended the Cecily Saunders Institute at King’s College London as an invited guest speaker to present research on determining what aspects of the design of care environments might be important for people with dementia nearing the end of life. The key messages of her presentation were the importance of firstly assuming the ability of people with dementia to engage with the senses, whether through touch, sound, smell, sight or taste and then to provide the means of engaging with whatever sense was appropriate or possible. The presentation was followed by a panel discussion with the audience in which the practical application of design principles within hospital settings was debated. The consensus was that even small changes can make a big difference. Following the presentation and discussion, the panel made a commitment to include consideration of dementia design principles in staff education within the Institute.
Fleming, R., Kelly, F. and Stillfried, G. (2015) ‘I want to feel at home’: establishing what aspects of environmental design are important to people with dementia nearing the end of life, BMC Palliative Care. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-684X/14/26
Dr Fiona Kelly, Dr Suyu Liu and Dr Michelle Heward represented Bournemouth University Dementia Institute (BUDI) at the Care and Dementia Show held at the NEC in Birmingham from 2-4th November 2015. The Care and Dementia Show is designed to provide education, products and services to any organisation responsible for the care of older people.
This show attracted over 300 national exhibitors from many sectors of the care industry, including care home providers. This was a fantastic opportunity for BUDI to network and meet a range of potential collaborators. During the event we met over 200 delegates, many were interested in BUDI’s research and education services, including the MSc Applied Dementia Studies programme.
The show was a good opportunity to meet practitioners in the field of dementia care, and to see first-hand the range of products and services on offer to people affected by dementia.
BUDI hosted a packed day of events showcasing some of our research, community-based projects and awareness-raising work. Attendees included university staff and students, people living with dementia and their family members, care home staff, members of the Alzheimer’s Society and interested members of the public. The day started with an announcement of the commitment by Bournemouth University to work towards becoming dementia friendly. This entails delivering dementia friends training to all university staff and, in time, to all students, ensuring Human Resource processes meet the needs of family members caring for people with dementia and anyone with a diagnosis of dementia working in the university, ensuring any marketing and communications are ‘dementia friendly’ and working with Estates to ensure the university meets dementia friendly design principles as much as possible.
We were delighted to see the return of the BUDI orchestra, comprising people with dementia, their family members, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra musicians John Murphy and Kevin Pritchard and led by Andy Baker, a freelance musician, who showed us techniques to support successful rehearsals and performances. This interactive workshop had everyone participating and it set the tone for an inspiring day.
BUDI orchestra and the audience playing music together.
We also heard from Dr Samuel Nyman about his recently NIHR funded Tai Chi project and had a chance to learn some basic Tai Chi from Robert Joyce. In the afternoon we were inspired to create poetry by Jonnie Seagrave ‘Fluffypunk’ and shown how to create poetry with people with dementia.
We then heard from Mary O’Malley about her Ph.D. investigating wayfinding in people with dementia, followed by a dementia friends training session delivered by Dr Michelle Heward. Throughout the day, we had visitors to our BUDI stand and the Alzheimer’s Society’s table, In the Student Centre, SportBU had a sponsored spin bike challenge to cycle 850,000 metres – a metre for every person living with Dementia in the UK. They managed this amazing feat and raised £100.00 for the Alzheimer’s Society. A huge thank you to everyone who took part and contributed.
The day finished with a screening of the film Still Alice, which portrays the journey of a woman diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in her early 50s, and this was followed by a lively panel discussion (Professor Candida Yates, Professor Iain MacRury, Dr Fiona Cownie and Dr Fiona Kelly), in which the audience offered their insights, experiences and thoughts on the film.
Pictures (Learning Tai Chi, Learning Poetry, BUDI welcome desk and SportBU bike challenge)
BUDI welcome you to attend its events at the ESRC Festival of Social Sciences being held tomorrow 11 November on the Talbot Campus (10am to 7pm). Below you will find the programme of the day’s events. Its FREE so please come along and join us if you can.
Programme for ESRC Festival of Social Sciences
(10am to 12 noon workshops in Student Hall)
10.00 Event opening
10.15 Music workshop
11.00 Remembrance Day 2 minutes silence
11.05 Tai Chi workshop
11.50 Networking
(PG22)
12.00 Tai Chi information session
(this section is purely for Persons living with Dementia and their Carers)
Please contact snyman@bournemouth.ac.uk or mobrien@bournemouth.ac.uk for further information regarding the Tai Chi information session if required.
Student Centre
12.45 Poetry introduction
(1pm to 7pm Allesbrook Lecture Theatre)
13.00 Dementia Friends Session
14.00 Way finding workshop
14.30 Poetry workshop
15.15 Networking
Screening of the Film “Still Alice”
16.00 Welcome
16.15 Screen film
18.00 Short interval
18.10 Panel discussion
19.00 Thank you and Good Night
Previous HSS blog
On Wednesday 30th September, the Bournemouth University Dementia Institute (BUDI) hosted a Masterclass on creative approaches in dementia. This was the third in a series of four Masterclasses set for the 2015 calendar year. We provided a day full of information and inspiration on the use of a range of creative activities with people with dementia. The morning included sessions on the importance of engaging people with dementia in creative activities, how much residents in a care home are engaged in meaningful activity on a daily basis, and the use of gardening and nature for wellbeing. As well as presentations from the BUDI team we also benefited from presentations from a professional artist, photographer, poet, and musician.
The afternoon was a series of workshops that gave delegates an opportunity to try out some of the activities and explore how they might facilitate people with dementia and their carers in activities such as music, poetry, visual art, photography, and drama. Such creative arts were used not only to demonstrate how we can engage people with dementia in meaningful activities, and the creative ways that we can make use of the creative arts, but how we can also use the arts to challenge the public’s perceptions of the capabilities of people with dementia.
Feedback from delegates has been very positive and we look forward to providing the next Masterclass in a few months!
Next Masterclass:
Wednesday 2nd December:
Promoting Wellbeing at the End of Life
Report by Dr Samuel Nyman, BUDI
On 9 September, we held our fourth annual Carers’ Forum. Our Carers’ Forum provides an opportunity to hear from local people who are caring for people with dementia on what matters most to them. We were also delighted to welcome Vivien Zarucki, Independent Financial Advisor, as our guest speaker who discussed the financial aspects of caring for someone living with dementia. Alison Adams, Information Worker from the Alzheimer’s Society, was also on hand to provide attendees with details about local support for people affected by dementia.
In a parallel session, people with dementia participated in a range of activities (including using technology such as IPads), and talked to the team about what it’s like living with dementia locally.
Feedback following the event suggests that attendees welcomed the opportunity to share their views and experiences:
These views and experiences will enable us to focus our research, education and consultancy services around the issues that matter most to people who are affected by dementia.
BUDI have a few free places available for BU staff and PhD Students to attend its masterclass entitled “Creative Approaches in Dementia” being held on Wednesday 30 September. This masterclass will be an interactive session which will be exploring the power and potential of creativity in supporting good practice and positive experiences of living with dementia.
Our speakers are:
Derek Eland, artist; Jonny Fluffypunk, poet; Andrew Baker, musician and Sharon Muiruri, drama specialist.
To read the flyer please click here . To book your free place please contact Dr Samuel Nyman at snyman@bournemouth.ac.uk
There are still places left for BUDI’s upcoming one day Masterclass on the Financial and Legal aspects of Dementia, to be held at the EBC, Landsdowne Campus this Wednesday 17th June.
We have a number of different speakers including Stuart Bradford from Coles Miller solicitors, Esther Donald from Bournemouth Borough Council, Malcolm Skinner, a legal writer for LexisNexis and Vivien Zarucki, an Independent Financial Advisor. It looks set to be an interesting and informative day with plenty of opportunity for participation and discussion.
Should you wish to book a place, please see the link below:-
I was very honoured to represent BUDI as the sole invitee from a UK HEI to attend the inaugural Dementia Forum X (for Executive) in Stockholm, Sweden on Monday 18th May. In all, 100 guests from 17 countries were in attendance and the event was hosted by HM Queen Silvia of Sweden.
Dementia Forum X has been set up to bring together leading lights in dementia at the request of Silviahemmet.
Silviahemmet (Silvia’s house) was established by Queen Silvia in 1996 after her own mother was diagnosed with dementia and the queen became aware of deficiencies in the health and social care systems when care was needed by people with dementia. Stiftelsen Silviahemmet, (Silvia’s House Foundation) has become a centre of excellence for dementia education and care.
The purpose of Dementia Forum X is to raise awareness of and understanding about dementia as well as to make a difference both globally and locally. The initiative was organised by the Swedish Forum for Elderly Care in collaboration with Karolinska Institutet, the Swedish Dementia Centre, FORTE (the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare) and was administered by Swedish Care International under the watchful eye of Karin Lind- Mörnesten, its CEO.
Dementia Forum X strives for a broader collaboration between executives from all parts of the global community. This event was described as a day of reflection and discussion between a hundred of the world’s leading business executives, policy-makers and other stakeholders. The participants were selected from five identified key sectors; finance, business, society, care and research. By teaming up with the leading expertise from different parts of the global society, Dementia Forum X has the capacity to create a joint understanding of the global effects of dementia. Furthermore, Dementia Forum X will be an accelerator for creativity, new initiatives and sustainable actions towards a better tomorrow.
The Forum was held at the Elite Marina Tower Hotel, Stockholm, across the water from the main city. With a minimum of protocol that would surprise most UK residents, the Queen and Crown Princess Victoria attended the morning session. During the afternoon there were a number of breakout sessions reflecting various themes; Business, Care, Finance, Research and Society. It was notable that the Queen moved around the building to attend each session and to offer her thoughts when sought.
So much for royal watching! The content of the day was based on the notion of ‘inspirational speeches’. This made a refreshing change from the usual round of lectures or ‘death by PowerPoint’ that often constitutes conference proceedings. Instead of a formal address, speakers were invited to begin discussions related to a variety of topics. This approach really worked well because of the excellence of the facilitator Nisha Pillai, formerly of BBC World Service.
Proceedings were initiated with the first speaker Åsa Regner, Minister for Children, the Elderly and Gender Equality, who set the tone by placing a strong emphasis on social care and on the rights of the individual. Fellow speakers included Ann-Charlotte Stjerna (Skandia), Professor Bengt Winblad (Karolinska Institutet), John Crawford (IBM) Sarah Lock (AARP), Dr Franz Graf von Harnoncourt (Order of Malta) Professor Niclas Adler (Babson College). Full details can be obtained from me by request.
The event was followed by a boat trip to Drottningholm, The Royal Palace, where participants witnessed the graduation of the first medical doctors to receive their Masters in Dementia award, presented on the stage of the Drottningholms Slottsteater (Palace Theatre), by HM Queen Silvia.
At the conclusion of the ceremony we were entertained by mezzo-soprano Charlotte Hellekant.
These are the personal memories that I take with me, but reflections from the breakaway groups included:
And perhaps the most exciting aspect for BUDI is the way that all of these points which emerged from the meeting are reflected in the content of our new online MSc Applied Dementia Studies which will launch in September 2015.
BUDI are holding their annual Open Public Meeting on Wednesday 20th May. This years topic is “Dementia-friendly Communities”
The meeting will discuss and debate the concept of dementia-friendly communities and will consider the challenges faced by those living with dementia and how our communities can respond to ensure that people with dementia can live well.
To find out more and book your FREE ticket click here . Please forward details to those you wish may want to attend.
The BU Dementia Institute kicked off the Interdisciplinary Research Week last night with an inspirational and interactive lecture on improving the lives of people affected by dementia in Dorset.
Professor Anthea Innes opened the week and then went on to explain the interdisciplinary research that her institute carries out and the importance of collaboration in the community. She informed the audience how the language used to describe the people diagnosed with dementia can often be negative and derogatory and how people are often treated differently upon diagnosis. The Institute work with care providers, hospitals, GPs, etc. to change their perception and enable better lives for those diagnosed with dementia.
Anthea handed over to her team to show some of the ways that lives can be improved and how a dementia diagnosis does not mean that you can no longer learn. Andy Baker from the BUDI orchestra had half the audience clapping to the ‘oo-ah’ parts of ‘oo-ah Cantona, say oo-ah Cantona’ and the other half clapping to the ‘wood’ and ‘chuck’ in ‘how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck would chuck wood’. This was not an easy task but a good demonstration of how to play your part in an orchestra. He went on to show how his work had given people diagnosed with dementia the ability to learn something new and engage in a rewarding activity.
Clare Cutler then talked about the Intergenerational Technology club where school pupils have welcomed people with dementia and their carers into their schools to work together in an after school club where they have been learning to play on the wii, xbox and ipads together. This way of working offers opportunities to educate younger generations about dementia and to combat associated stigma, ignorance and fear of what it might mean to live with dementia.
Samuel Nyman ended the evening with an enthusiastic lecture on ‘Falls Prevention’ and how the amount of time we spend being sedentary increases our chances of falling and injuring ourselves. Research has shown that the more active we are in our 30’s and 40’s will decrease our chances of developing dementia. Samuel’s research is looking to develop behavioural change techniques that can be used to encourage a much more active lifestyle. He showed a clip of people choosing to use an escalator instead of the stairs. The stairs were transformed into a working piano overnight and usage of the stairs increased by 66% the next day.
It was an excellent evening with a great opportunity for the audience to engage with the BUDI team. I’ll end with just one of the positive comments from the audience, which was ‘Wonderful to hear from such enthusiastic and passionate presenters forging strong partnerships with those in the community. Many thanks.’
There are nine more interdisciplinary research events being held this week and so please do come along: https://research.bournemouth.ac.uk/interdisciplinary-research-week-2015/. Today’s events are:
To coincide with Dementia Awareness Week (18-24 May 2015), on Wednesday 20 May 2015 from 12 – 3pm, Bournemouth University Dementia Institute (BUDI) are hosting their fourth Annual Public Open Meeting. This free event will showcase work that is being undertaken locally to make our community dementia-friendly.
There will be an overview of local progress in the following areas:
Alongside updates on the following creative community involvement projects:
Anyone interested in dementia-friendly communities is welcome to attend, for more information or to register for your free place:
Call us on: +44 (0)1202 962771
Book online at: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/budi-2015-open-public-meeting-dementia-friendly-communities-tickets-14377261777
On Friday 27th March, the BUDI Orchestra gave a lively performance in the Atrium, Talbot Campus, performing well-known songs and pieces for our enjoyment. We were pleased to see so many staff and students stop to appreciate the Orchestra’s talents, some even singing and dancing along with the musicians.
The performance gave the BUDI Orchestra the opportunity to demonstrate all they have achieved in the last eight weeks as part of a wider project funded by Dorset County Council’s Inspired by 2012 Health and Wellbeing Legacy Fund. We were fortunate that a representative from the Fund could join us for the performance, allowing him to see first-hand what the support of the Dorset Legacy Fund has meant to this inspiring group of individuals, their families and even to the BUDI team.
On a personal note, as a Research Assistant who has worked closely on this project since October (and previous versions since February 2014), I have been struggling to put what I felt during their performance into words… something more than pride, more than happiness for their achievements, and more than the bittersweet knowledge that this may be their last performance due to lack of continuous funding. These are people that have come together and formed their own social community, not through the project per se, but through the bonds they have made with other people in a similar situation to their own, sharing their experiences as they learn to make music together. They, like us, have passion for their work and for the people they have met along the way, as anyone lucky enough to watch the performance would have witnessed. It has been an incredible privilege to be part of that.
Thank you to everyone that took the time to attend and celebrate this extraordinary group of people.
On Wednesday 18th March, the Bournemouth University Dementia Institute (BUDI) hosted a Masterclass on the use of technology with people with dementia. This was the first in a series of four Masterclasses set for the 2015 calendar year. We provided a day full of information and inspiration on the use of a range of technology with people with dementia. The morning focused on technology and everyday living, and included sessions on assistive technology, monitoring technology, smart homes, virtual reality, and dementia friendly technology guidelines. The afternoon focused on gaming technology and included opportunity to interact with a range of devices including iPads, an Xbox, Wii, a virtual reality environment, and an educational game.
We had 20 external guests attend the day, who represented organisations from the public, private, and third sectors. The feedback was on the whole very positive and we look forward to providing the next Masterclass in a few months!
Next Masterclasses:
Wednesday 17th June: Financial and Legal Aspects of Dementia Care
Future Masterclasses:
Wednesday 30th September: Creative Approaches in Dementia
Wednesday 2nd December: Promoting Wellbeing at the End of Life
On 20th March BUDI attended the quarterly meeting of the Dementia Action Alliance (DAA). This was held in London at the College of Occupational Therapists. The day primarily consisted of presentations with time for discussion, and attracted members from private, public, and third sector organisations as well as people with dementia and their carers. The morning centred on risk reduction and the evidence for lifestyle factors to increase / decrease the risks of developing a dementia, and depression was a particular factor that was highlighted as an important risk factor. The afternoon presented two new calls to action:
Dementia Words Matter
From consultations with people with dementia, this call to action is to ask that everyone uses appropriate language when referring to people with dementia. We are to use terms such as “person with dementia” or “person living with dementia”. Terms to be avoided include referring to people with dementia as “sufferers”, “demented”, “senile”, or “victims”. Part of being a dementia friendly university will mean using the correct language when referring to people with dementia and not using terms that are likely to offend.
National Family Carer’s Involvement Network
With support of the Department of Health, this network will be to engage and equip carers to raise the profile of the needs of carers and to influence policy and practice. It will also be a resource for carers to support each other. Anyone who is a carer or knows of a carer of a person with dementia is encouraged to join this initiative and help campaign for better support and services for informal caregivers who play a vital role in supporting people with dementia.
BUDI is a proud member of the DAA and is a great place to network with key stakeholders who have an influence on policy and practice.
Last October, BUDI were lucky enough to secure funding from the ‘Inspired by 2012 Health and Wellbeing’ Fund via Dorset County Council to run another round of our music initiative with people with dementia and their carers from the community.
BUDI Orchestra have been working hard for the last eight weeks to bring you a performance this Friday 27th March, and we would be delighted if you could come along and show your support for all they have achieved in such a short space of time.
When? 27th March 2015, 10:30 – 11:30am
Where? The Atrium, Talbot Campus
We look forward to seeing you there!
Report on Meeting of the Higher Education for Dementia Network (HEDN) 17th March, Worcester
On the 17th March, BUDI attended the quarterly meeting of the Higher Education for Dementia Network (HEDN). It was held in The Hive, University of Worcester, a building co-owned by the university and the council. The Network is an open forum with a purpose to share information and innovation across UK Higher Education providers and to influence the provision of education for the current and future dementia workforce. The host institution gives a presentation at these meetings and on this occasion the University of Worcester decided to initiate discussion about their intentions of developing training for academics wanting to specialise in dementia, and dementia trainers working outside of higher education who want more training in how to design and deliver educational programmes. We also had discussion about how dementia could be better embedded within existing programmes across university departments / courses. At these meetings members also have opportunity to share about their latest developments and initiatives. BUDI was able to share about their work in developing a new MSc in Applied Dementia Studies, and the four Masterclasses that we are running this calendar year. BUDI is proud to be a member of this network and national networks such as these are great not only for sharing innovation and good practice but for working together to help shape the UK’s education provision. This network’s most recent way of achieving this was to develop a national curriculum that is now in the process of being implemented.