Isolation Resources – March 2021

Thanks to We Care Home Improvements for their latest newsletter.

Some good Dementia Support Groups listed here.

This BRACE event sounds good – online art workshops with Sarah Boden.

The Cinnamon Trust is a charity for elderly and terminally ill people and their pets; they help people look after their pets when they can no longer do that themselves. This can involve taking animals to the vets, dog walking etc. Clearly the companionship a pet provides is extremely important. More info can be found at www.cinnamon.org.uk or on this poster.

We thought you might be interested in this: Rare Dementia Support are very excited to announce the launch of our Young Onset Alzheimer’s Disease (YOAD) Support Group. Please find included in this email our YOAD newsletter and the registration link for our upcoming virtual support group meeting. We have also attached our new professionals’ brochure.
Please find the March 2021 YOAD Newsletter – HERE – https://www.raredementiasupport.org/…/YOAD-newsletter…
Upcoming Online Support Group
The first ever YOAD Virtual Support Group will be taking place online on Friday the 19th of March from 2:30pm to 4:00pm GMT.
In order to join the session, please follow the link – HERE – to register. https://ucl.zoom.us/…/register/WN_4t-2JA5eQhOh0CnmI-bGFQ

Upcoming Care for a Cuppa dates
Monday 15 March, 3-4pm – Book here.
Monday 22 March, 3-4pm – Book here.
As a carer it’s important to take a little break and spend some time talking to people who understand what you’re going through. That’s why we’re organising a weekly online Care for a Cuppa through Zoom.
If you would like to join, please let us know by clicking the relevant link above. You’ll be sent a confirmation email with details on how to join the chat. Please note that it can take up to two working days for your confirmation email to come through. 
We also have Share and Learn, a series of fun and relaxed online sessions where visiting speakers share tips and skills on a range of topics – all from the comfort of your own home. Check out the latest sessions here.
Some really good workshops here.

This Bristol Research Forum on Ageing – Physical Activity and Mental Wellbeing in Later Life: Post-Pandemic Recovery
sounds good – April 29th 2pm-3.30pm.

Thank you to Bristol Health Partners for this newsletter and South Gloucestershire DAA for this newsletter.

Avon and Somerset Police is now offering the dementia wristbands as they cover a greater area than Avon Fire. You can read more about the wristbands on our website: https://www.bdaa.org.uk/free-resources/dementia-wristbands/ and, if you live in the Avon Fire & Rescue area you can request one from them. If you live in the wider area you can get your free wristband by registering for the Police Dementia Safeguarding Scheme. Please see this poster for further details.

If you know anyone who could benefit from an MP3 Player please let us know on office@bdaa.org.uk. We have already received funding to provide MP3 players for locals. We simply need a name and delivery address and 15 song titles and artists. Read more about The Power of Music on our website. Please do share this poster with anyone who would be interested in MP3 players.

We had a second meeting to discuss how to support groups to form for people living with young onset dementia this week. If you would like to join our working party please let us know – the next meeting is on 22nd April 7-8.30pm. We have created a Facebook group – The Denim Generation – please join if appropriate. We are also seeking a few administrators for the Facebook page to help us monitor posts and share relevant information. Please contact us on office@bdaa.org.uk if you can help.

Thanks to BRACE for their monthly newsletter. BRACE is running an Elder Financial Abuse webinar on 10th March at 2pm.

Being Human Moves Activity cards https://www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/tag/creative-cafes/ Bristol Museum is planning a zoom session to introduce the cards and have some example activities and discuss ways in which the cards can be used as a springboard for a whole variety of activities. It is a chance to find out a bit about the museum’s other projects for older people and people living with dementia, and to meet others working in this area of work. The free session is on Wednesday March 10th 2 – 3.30 pm – please email Ailsa if you wish to attend and to receive the cards in the post (you don’t need them for the session): Ailsa.Richardson@bristol.gov.uk

Good Grief Festival is hosting another weekend of webinars at the end of the month. We found the sessions very informative and interesting last year and look forward to this on 27th-28th March.

BOPFs latest newsletter.
See this leaflet about the BOPF Housing Film Launch, Living at Home, Five Stories from Older People, Friday 5 March 2021, 10:30 – 12:00 hrs. See this Housing Survey Report which was produced last year.
BOPF is also looking for a volunteer BOPF Website Editor Assistant – Ideally someone with relevant IT skills to volunteer a few hours a week to help out with the popular and well-used BOPF website.
They are also running Challenging Ageism workshops on 11th or 19th March. The two-hour workshops will enable participants to explore their own thoughts and experiences and look at ways of building new approaches to tackling ageism as an inequality. It will also focus on how ageist beliefs and actions affect both older and younger people. The workshops also explore how the COVID-19 Crisis has highlighted ageist policy decisions and look at ways we can use in working towards a strategic approach to eradicating structural ageism.

Thanks to Alzheimer’s Society for this newsletter – personal stories.

We were really interested to hear about this Digital Inclusion Project. They have secured funding and have sponsorship and donations of laptops.  They aim to provide digital connectivity – physical resources and connectivity, plus training for the skills needed.  They are linking up with the hubbub project too, which provides recycled phones for older people.
Some great resources on this page.

Research survey invitation
Do you visit a friend or family member who has dementia and is living in a dementia care setting?
Our team at the University of Bristol and the University of the West England is developing a suite of technologies for recognising and responding to stress in dementia.
If you are aged 18 or over and visit a friend or family member who has dementia and lives in a care or nursing home then we would like to ask you how you feel about these new technologies.
To help us and receive a £10 gift voucher, please complete our short survey at: bit.ly/2Xti8q8
For more details, please contact Zeke Steer on 07887 855393 or zeke.steer@bristol.ac.uk.
“Balancing Best Interests in Healthcare Ethics and Law (BABEL) is a medical ethics research project looking at how the concept of ‘best interests’ is used in health decisions across the age range and the spectrum of health. We are developing research plans to interview patients and professionals. We are interested in getting feedback from patients, health professionals and interested charities and group about the design of our research questions and study information materials. We want to make sure research interviews are both effective and will not involve any untoward distress to the interviewees. If you are willing to read our research materials and offer comments and advice, please email Dr Giles Birchley at the University of Bristol giles.birchley@bristol.ac.uk”

Thank you to Subitha for this information about The Glenside Hospital Museum and Invitation to join a conversation about using the parks and green spaces in our area for health.

Kitty Clucas, a PhD student at the University of Bristol is conducting a research project called ‘Exploring the intersection between bisexuality, dementia in adult social care’ that is being funded by the NIHR School for Social Care Research. Ethical approval has been granted for this research by the University of Bristol. The aim of the study is to make adult social care services more inclusive for bisexual people with dementia. She is looking for participants who identify as being bisexual or a person attracted to people of all genders and have dementia.  Taking part in the study would involve being interviewed for between 1 and 2 hours and participants would receive a £30 shopping voucher in return. This flyer and patient information sheet provide further information.

Here is BRACE’s spring magazine.

Thanks to the Alzheimer’s Society for this Easter Activity Pack.

A big thank you to the John James Bristol Foundation for helping us plan an Easter surprise for our Happy Days Memory 
Cafe participants. Watch this space for information in a couple of weeks. Thanks to Subitha for sharing this Introduction to Cruse Bereavement Care session on 26th April.

The Diocese of Bristol, the Church of England in the region incorporating Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Wiltshire and Swindon, has recently launched an open conversation about their future vision and priorities, called Transforming Church. Together.
They are running a series of workshops to help them speak to as many people as they can, particularly people that they don’t often hear from, including those who identify as disabled. Please share details of their workshops with your networks. The full list of workshops can be found here.
They also have a short online questionnaire to gather views. 

Thanks to RWA for this latest newsletter.

It’s World Rocks Against Dementia Week this July. We usually host something at our Happy Days Memory Cafe. Any ideas? Perhaps you could hold an event in July?

We’ve just received our first payment from Co-op Community Fund for £328. If you shop at Co-op please select BDAA as your charity of the year. Every penny really does help us.