Category: Dementia

New year, new plans

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“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come”   Alfred Tennyson

At Growing Old Grace-fully we have all sat down together at the beginning of this month to think about where we need to focus our efforts in the coming year.  We have asked the questions “What is the difference we want to make in the Diocese?” “What are the changes we would like to see in the parishes relating to older people and later life by 2018?” So like the Roman God Janus (from which January takes its name) who is depicted with two faces, one looking backwards and one forwards, we have found ourselves reflecting on past events whilst looking ahead to new possibilities.

One of the possibilities we would like to encourage, is to have more dementia-friendly parishes.  Growing Old Grace-fully have registered our plans to be dementia-friendly and you can view our Action Plans here http://www.dementiaaction.org.uk/members_and_action_plans/3926-growing_old_grace-fully .

If you think your Parish might be interested in working to become dementia-friendly, please call Rachel on 07702 255142 or email growing.old.gracefully@dioceseofleeds.org.uk .  We can also offer Dementia Friends Information Sessions for Parish groups to help individuals have an understanding of dementia and the small things that you can do that make a difference.

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May the God of new beginnings give us hope and encouragement as this New Year opens before us with all its challenges. And may God, creator, Son and comforter be with us now and always. Amen.

 

 

Leeds Diocese’ own poet-priest in ‘The Tablet’: working with people with dementia.

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In the 29th August edition of ‘The Tablet’, there is an excellent interview with Fr Michael McCarthy, our own local poet-priest, focusing on his eagerly awaited third collection of poems, The Healing Station. This is the fruit of a three-month creative writing post in the Adelaide and Meath Hospital in Dublin, working with acute stroke and dementia patients.  As the article concludes, dementia is reaching epidemic proportions and none of us can afford to ignore it. There is a growing awareness in many parishes of the challenges this poses and people are beginning to ask the question “How can we make our churches more dementia-friendly, more inclusive?” All too often, people with dementia and their families become excluded and marginalised.

An upcoming event organised by Growing Old Grace-fully will provide an opportunity to hear more about Fr Michael’s writing and his experience of working with people with dementia and their carers in hospital, and in his life as a parish priest.

On Saturday 12th September at St Aidan’s Parish Hall, 31 Baildon Road, Shipley BD17 6AQ, Growing Old Grace-fully is holding a day on dementia: “Welcoming People with Dementia”.  This day is intended for all those involved with caring for or ministering to people with dementia. Eucharistic Ministers or SVP members wanting to learn more about dementia and how to make a visit to someone with dementia easier and more meaningful for both parties will find this day very helpful. Liturgists too may find this useful for planning prayers and services which people with dementia might attend.

Fr Michael is speaking alongside Rev. Gaynor Hammond, a Baptist Minister, who has encouraged churches to become more dementia friendly and has written a number of books full of practical ideas to help parishes, including “Help, We have Dementia!” and “Growing Dementia-Friendly Churches.”

For more information and to book places, call Rachel on 07702 255142, email: growing.old.gracefully@dioceseofleeds.org.uk  or visit www.growingoldgracefully.org.uk  .