Dementia Assisting Self Help Group Blog!

Written by Andy Sims "There is an old African saying that goes something like this... WHEN AN OLD MAN DIES A LIBRARY BURNS DOWN. I've had a revelation in recent days that there is something redolent about this saying that chimes with Alzheimer’s/Dementia - but we aren't dying from Dementia, we are living with it . All that skill, knowledge, ability, dextrousness in facility, experience and, dare I say it, common sense gradually leaching away. What is common sense? I'll illustrate. My father was a carpenter. I recall his sage advice. "Always keep your fingers behind the blade". Maybe not common but certainly sense. I am blessed that I live in Bromley. Here, unlike many areas of England that I know personally, we are provided with opportunities through the Dementia Assisting Self Help (DASH) group not made available universally.  Please keep being a beacon of best practice. Finally. The birth rate is falling. The population is not being replaced.  Us ...

  On May 11th, Oxleas held its second year of the Aspiring Psychologists Conference (APC). This was a conference for entry-level psychologists across Oxleas services to share and present some of the projects they have been working on and reflect on their journeys into psychology with the NHS. DASH Facilitator, Ross, presented on Service Involvement for people with dementia, and how it can be made more accessible. This was based on work with the DASH group for the past few months around people with dementia as Experts by Experience on NHS recruitment panels. It explored the barriers, supports, and experiences of DASH members who have been on a panel before. Two of our members, Andy and David (alongside his wife), co-presented the project, giving their own experiences as people with dementia who still get involved with services through DASH.  The event was a real success with positive feedback all around, especially about our two DASH co-presenters. Thank you to Andy, David, and...

  Our DASH Celebration was recently featured in both the Oxleas internal staff newsletter and is now front-page on the Oxleas intranet website! The news reads...

On March 26th, the DASH Group held a very special social gathering at the Ripley Arts Centre in Bromley. This was the first time that we have held an event to celebrate the group's achievements, and it was wonderful to see so many members, partners, and staff join us! During the gathering, we shared some of the projects DASH members have worked on since the group began including our new DASH Video  that was recently filmed to present at the Oxleas Board Meeting, previous blog posts  members have written, and the many leaflets and posters which DASH have produced (communication tips for working with people with dementia, talking about your dementia diagnosis, and living with dementia). We were delighted to welcome our special guest, Chief Estates Officer for the Oxleas Board, Mr. Steve Wedgwood. He joined us to celebrate everything the group has done so far, and to hand out certificates to our members that recognised everyone's amazing contributions to DASH so far! A big thank ...

Bromley Memory Service recently received funding for a new art therapist role. I had the opportunity to join an art therapy taster session and offer feedback as a service user. I found the session very interesting, particularly the part around the history of art therapy in Bexley Hospital, as I used to work as a psychiatrist. I really enjoyed the session and found the therapist to be very good and supportive. When given a prompt to draw my “calm and quiet place”, I drew my mosque, which enabled me to feel relaxed. I found the session very engaging and would encourage my DASH group peers to have a go as I think it’s a great way to keep your mind active when living with dementia. What I learnt from the session is: You do not have to be good at art It's not what the work looks like that matters, it's what it represents You can use symbolism to take a step out of the actual mental/physical experience in order to make sense of it There is no wrong or right way to do art therapy The ...

 The Memory Service National Accreditation Programme (MSNAP) recently held an art competition for those living with dementia, in which two of our DASH members submitted their work.  We would like to say a massive congratulations to David for winning the competition with his painting of the Bridgeways building where the DASH group is held!  His artwork will be featured in the upcoming annual forum as well as in future publications and marketing materials. Another massive congratulations to Cathy for her submission, who received the following feedback: " Please extend our heartfelt thanks to Cathy for taking part in our recent  Art work  Competition . Your creativity, thoughtfulness, and expression were truly inspiring, and we were honoured to receive your submission titled Learning new skills with dementia" We are so proud of both David and Cathy for all their hard work and contributions to the DASH group. Keep up the great work!