Category: Dementia

Dementia Friendly Parishes in our Diocese

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I was made so welcome at two different parishes in Dewsbury Deanery this month.

I enjoyed my visit to the Happy Memories Group at St Paulinus Church Hall, Dewsbury last Thursday.  This group is run by volunteers and run activity groups for people with a dementia type illness and their carers. They are active, lively groups, with activities designed to stimulate and exercise both body and mind. Carers have a choice of staying for the session or having a break for the session.

The driving force behind Happy Memories is Cath Knowles, shown here with husband Ron who also is very involved in supporting the Group.

Cath told me “I run the Group and have done for 11 years. We are all volunteers and consist of 4 groups in total.  We have around 90 people on our books and we support carers and former carers.I have applied to make our group a dementia friendly group and this is a work in progress.  Although we meet at St Paulinus Parochial Hall twice a month, we are not specifically a church group and people come from all over North Kirklees to attend our groups.We also have a group that meets at St Andrews Methodist Church Hall in Mirfield twice a month, a luncheon Club Monthly and a carers friendship group monthly.”

The Group are doing much needed work to help support people living with dementia and their carers.  They are supported financially by local community groups and individuals, but get no statutory funding.

 

Last Saturday I was back in the deanery sharing a Dementia Friends session at St Paul of the Cross in Cleckheaton.  I was delighted that 25 people, including parishioners from St Mary of the Angels in Batley, came to the session and each attendee became a Dementia Friend.  Parish priest Fr Nicholas commented “Simply bringing people together is important, allowing them to know that they are not facing issues in isolation”.  It was very good to attend a quiet Mass after the session with some of the people I met. Thank you to all who came along for your warm welcome and thoughtful contributions.

 

Don’t forget that it’s Dementia Action Week  from 21st-27th May 2018, and I would love to hear what your parish or local community are doing to help people live well with dementia.

Rachel Walker, Project Co-ordinator

Memory loss and the needs of the Irish community

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Growing Old Grace-fully were so pleased to be invited to an event at Leeds Irish Centre by Leeds Irish Health & Homes, to hear the findings of some recent research into memory loss and the needs of the Irish community.

One of the findings of this research that struck home with me was the importance of being with people who understand our culture when we are living with dementia; people who speak our language either literally or figuratively speaking.  A friend told me that dementia took away her Polish-born mum’s ability to speak English, even though she was a fluent English speaker for 50 years, but her mum could still speak Polish.

You can read more about the event here http://www.lihh.org/memory-loss-and-the-irish-community-the-report-from-our-launch-event

Being with people who understand our culture is part of feeling we belong.  It’s why we need to work hard to ensure that people who have been part of the parish life do not feel excluded if they develop dementia.   Please think about whether your parish could run a short session on Becoming a Dementia-Friendly Parish which Growing Old Grace-fully would be delighted to run.

Rachel Walker

 

 

More Dementia Friends in Leeds Diocese

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st-john-the-evangelist-2Mary Mother of God, Bradford, are now the 5th Parish in our Diocese to start the process of becoming a recognised ‘dementia-friendly Parish’.

Thank you to everyone who attended ‘Becoming a Dementia-Friendly Parish’ session on Tuesday 20th September.   Growing Old Grace-fully was given such a warm welcome, which started with evening mass.   17 people each became a Dementia Friend, including two people from the local community who are not parishioners.

We discovered that many of us know people with dementia, or we may be living with the disease ourselves.  It was a privilege to share our stories and, in this sharing, remove some of the fear and stigma around dementia.  Being a dementia-friendly parish offers an opportunity to reach out to those who are most vulnerable and voiceless in society and to show the love of God in action.

Thank you again to all who attended, to Sharon for organising the event and to Fr Paul for his kind words on the parish Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Parish-of-Mary-Mother-of-God-Bradford-1689970151222546/

 

 

Liverpool – a dementia-friendly Archdiocese

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Liverpool are the first Roman Catholic Archdiocese to join the Dementia Action Alliance – so they can display this badge.

Dem Friendly logo

Being Dementia-Friendly means being Later-Life-Friendly.  We would be so delighted if Leeds Diocese were the next Diocese to join.

You can read about Liverpool’s plans in this article from the July edition of their magazine Dementia-friendly Church article ArchDiocese of Liverpool

 

More Dementia Friends in our Diocese… it’s growing!

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Dementia Friends at St Joseph's

St Joseph’s, Wetherby are now the 4th Parish in our Diocese to start the process of becoming a recognised ‘dementia-friendly Parish’.

Thank you to all the people who attended ‘Becoming a Dementia-Friendly Parish’ session on Monday 18th July.   Growing Old Grace-fully was given such a warm welcome on a very warm evening, and 15 people each became a Dementia Friend.

A dementia-friendly Parish is one where people with dementia are understood, respected and supported and are confident they can contribute to Parish life.

2016'07'18 Dementia Certificate from Bradford DAAEarlier the same day, Growing Old Grace-fully received our Award from Bradford & District Dementia Action Alliance (DAA), in recognition of our work.  Here’s Trustee Ann West receiving our Certificate from Chris North of Bradford DAA.

Would you like you like your Parish to think about growing in dementia-friendliness?  Please email Rachel at growing.old.gracefully@dioceseofleeds.org.uk or call 07702 255142 to book your session or find out more.

 

Dementia Friends at Blessed John Henry Newman

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Thank you to all the people who attended ‘Becoming a Dementia-Friendly Parish’ session at Corpus Christi on Wednesday 18th May.   Growing Old Grace-fully was given such a warm welcome and there was lots of interesting and lively interaction which resulted in 20 people each becoming a Dementia Friend.

Dementia isn’t a natural part of ageing.  One of the people we talked about was Christine Bryden, a top civil servant, who was diagnosed with dementia in 1995 at the age of 46.  ‘My journey’, she wrote, ‘is to the inner self; to the reflection in the divine within.  This is what gives me an abiding sense of meaning as I travel the journey from diagnosis to death.’  She’s now 66 and still giving talks about what it means to live with dementia.  Christine Bryden’s books “Who will I be when I die?” and “Dancing with dementia” are published by Jessica Kingsley.

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Dementia Awareness Week

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This week is The Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Awareness Week (15th – 20th May), and this year’s focus is to encourage anyone who is worried about dementia to confront their concerns and get in touch.

If you’re worried that you, or someone close to you, might have dementia, the National Dementia Helpline is there to offer advice and support on 0300 222 1122 or email helpline@alzheimers.org.uk .

 

Here at Growing Old Grace-fully we wanted to write our own messages to Dementia, and help us show people who are worried that they’re not alone.

Dear Dementia

There are lots of events happening this week so here’s a link to the Yorkshire events: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/events.php?categoryID=200223 and we are running a short one hour session on ‘Becoming a Dementia-Friendly Parish’  this week on Wednesday 18th May at Corpus Christi, Neville Road, Leeds LS9 0HD at 7.00pm – 8.00pm. 

 

It is easy to assume our parishes are automatically dementia-friendly.  How could we who aspire to follow Jesus think it is acceptable to exclude anyone?  Yet often people with dementia, and their families, do have that experience of feeling marginalised.  To be a dementia-friendly parish is to find ways to include people with dementia, so that they are helped to experience life in all its fullness and they know they are not alone.

Dementia Friends in our Diocese

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Some of St Joseph's, Pudsey SVP members

Some of St Joseph’s, Pudsey SVP members

Growing Old Grace-fully led two short sessions recently for people wanting to know more about Growing A Dementia-Friendly Parish at St Joseph’s, Pudsey and St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Shipley.

Dementia Friends from Shipley's St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

Dementia Friends from Shipley’s St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

 

Thank you to everyone who supported these hour-long sessions which resulted in 21 new Dementia Friends.  Having Dementia Friends in a Parish is a great way to change the way people think, act and talk about dementia and is a real start to becoming a Dementia-Friendly Parish.

It’s easy to assume our parishes are dementia-friendly… how could we who aspire to follow Jesus think it is acceptable to exclude anyone?  Yet people living with dementia, and their families, do often have that experience of feeling marginalised.  Being dementia-UNfriendly doesn’t happen because people want to exclude someone.  It’s often a lack of understanding about dementia or even misplaced kindness.  To be a Dementia-Friendly Parish is to engage in the process that will find ways to include people with dementia, so that they are helped to experience life in all its fullness.

Growing a Dementia-Friendly Parish is always work in progress.  It will take on a life of its own, develop and grow.  Congratulations to the Parishes of St Joseph’s and St Teresa Benedicta for starting the journey.

If you would like to book a one hour information session on Growing  A Dementia-Friendly Parish , or simply want to know more, please call Rachel on 07702 255142 or email growing.old.gracefully@dioceseofleeds.org.uk .

Easter Newsletter

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resurrection crossThis Eastertide,
May we be blessed with the promise of rebirth wherever we are and whoever we may be.
May the birds carol and rejoice that we are all alive under one sky
May our spirits unfurl like a sunflower following the arc of light
And may we all feel the blessing of this good earth And rejoice in the good news of this Easter and a Joyful Springtime.
(adapted from an  Irish blessing)

Dear friend

After a long wet and windy Winter, what a joy it is to see the world around us coming back to life with spring flowers, fresh buds, blossoms, birds singing their hearts out, new born lambs. All these wonderful signs of life continually renewed.

At Growing Old Grace-fully we have been thinking and praying about where we need to focus our efforts in the coming year – a renewal of our approach.  We have asked the questions “What is the difference we want to make in the Diocese?” and “What are the changes we would like to see in the parishes relating to older people and later life by 2018?”

Our purpose has not changed.  We will continue to seek to raise awareness of the spiritual and practical needs of older people, and their contribution to our communities across the Diocese of Leeds.  We want to focus more of our efforts on inspiring and supporting practical actions within the parishes by:

  • Sharing best practice through our website www.growingoldgracefully.org.uk
  • Helping create local solutions to local needs
  • Offering information, support and advice to parishes
  • Encouraging dementia-friendly parishes.

The spiritual needs of people with dementia, and their carers, is often overlooked.  To be a dementia-friendly parish is to find ways to include people with dementia so that they are helped to experience life in all its fullness.  Rachel Walker, our project worker, is a Dementia Champion and is leading a number of short sessions on Becoming a Dementia-Friendly Parish at:

  • St Joseph’s, Pudsey                 Monday 18th April, 7.30pm-8.30pm
  • St Walburga’s, Shipley            Tuesday 19th April, 7.45pm-8.45pm
  • Corpus Christi, Leeds 9          Wednesday 18th May, 7.00pm-8.00pm

dementia Autumn leaves imageTo understand how your parish can work towards becoming dementia-friendly, or to discuss other ways of valuing and supporting people in later life, please call Rachel on (07702) 255142 or email growing.old.gracefully@dioceseofleeds.org.uk . 

God does not value people according to their memory and skills but loves each one of us unconditionally.   The work of Growing Old Grace-fully aims to help the Church to be aware of the effects of mental and physical diminishment on older members, but also to cherish the blessings of ageing… the potential and the joys.  Fr Ralph Woodall SJ writes:

old and young hands“The task and privilege of older people is to gather, appreciate more deeply and treasure the hints of God’s presence that they have known and generously to share the wisdom that they have received as gift from God.

It may be that the wisdom is still implicit: they have not quite appreciated how important have been those occasions in their lives where they have helped others or been helped by others.

Older members of the community should have no need to be independent; they can help others to realise how inter-dependence is part of God’s plan for our lives, for building his kingdom.

This can make older people very precious in the Christian community.”

 

Warmest thanks for your interest in and support of our work across the Diocese.

Every Blessing.

Pippa Bonner, Trustee                        Carol Burns, Trustee                     Anne Forbes, Trustee

 

 Paul Grafton, Chair                      Cath Mahoney, Trustee                 Mgr Peter Rosser, Trustee

 

Rachel Walker, Project Worker             Ann West, Trustee

 

Grieving and dementia

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Year of Mercy logoOne of our trustees, Pippa, led a talk about Dementia within a Charismatic Day in our Diocese in the context of The Year of Mercy. Pippa defined Mercy in this context principally as compassion.  Fr Keen’s quotation is particularly relevant for those living with dementia and their carers.

Mercy is the willingness to enter the chaos of someone else’s life.                      James F Keen, SJ

The talk included helpful advice when speaking with a person with dementia who has had a bereavement. Maria Longfellow, an Occupational Therapist, put the material together from a number of sources. It is an area that many wonder how best to handle but here are some resources that might be helpful.

Helping the Person with Dementia Grieve After the Death of a Loved One – Beth S. Patterson, MA, LPC.html