Dementia patients benefit from creative approach at Childers care home

Resident Isabelle Forsyth enjoys the fun. (ABC Wide Bay: Nikki Sorbello)

Gel blasters, cup pong, and discos are probably not what you would immediately expect to see in aged care homes.

But in Childers, 350 kilometres north of Brisbane, it is playtime with a purpose as elderly residents get their creative juices flowing to help stem the decline from dementia.

And it is achieving wonderful results at not-for-profit centre Forest View Care.

“One resident, she didn’t speak before,” CEO Julie Mayer said.

“Now all of a sudden she’s speaking about her artwork, she’s speaking about something she knows, and she’ll engage in a conversation about it.

“Another resident was a recluse in her room.

“Now she is actively a part of this.”

Young at heart

The specially-designed program involves activities like painting, new food tastings, target shooting with gel blasters, cup pong, as well as singing and dancing.

Isabelle Forsyth is a resident with dementia and loves to join in the fun.

“You just play around like a lot of kids — which we are, I suppose,” Ms Forsyth said.

While dementia primarily affects the left side of the brain, creative activities are used to stimulate the right side.

“If you can identify where the deficit is, instead of focusing on that deficit and trying to fix it you try and find another pathway or another way to stimulate them,” Ms Mayer said.

“You actually get much higher levels of engagement.”

In just over 12 months, staff have seen residents become less aggressive, less reclusive, and more communicative.

“Their whole world starts to shift because they start to look at ‘what can I achieve?’ Rather than ‘what I can’t achieve’,” Ms Mayer said.

“They can’t dress themselves, they can’t shower themselves, but at the same time they’ve now learned to paint a landscape.”

Building confidence

Seventy per cent of the 30 residents at Forest View Care have high-level dementia, but all the staff see here is opportunities for growth.

“You’ll see their strength building to be able to walk more confidently and to be able to stand more confidently,” Ms Mayer said.

“You’ll see them making more eye contact with each other to catch, a ball or hand one over to someone else.

“Their self-esteem improves, their confidence improves but also their willingness to engage and be public.”

Ms Mayer, who has experience with behaviour management, ADHD, aged care, and disability, says what they are doing “was not rocket science”, it was just rarely done in an aged care setting.

They hope a research grant to formally document the success they have had will help other facilities make similar changes.

Vivacious and vibrant

A big part of the fun and frivolity comes from lifestyle manager Chanelle Robinson.

While it is her first time working in aged care, her background in children’s charities and camps plays a large part in the joyful interactions between staff and residents.

“We’re aiming for vibrancy and a vivacious environment, which I think we’re achieving,” Ms Robinson said.

“To make it as fun as possible, as lively as possible, without wearing everybody out.”

Artwork created by the residents is now on display at the Childers town library.

Dementia Australia CEO Marie McCabe commended Forest View Care on its approach.

“Creativity, the arts, and music are so important for people living with dementia and they’re things that they’ve often engaged in all of their life,” Ms McCabe said.

“It keeps them socially active, socially engaged, keeps their mind active, and we know that the more engaged and involved people living with dementia are the better they are, particularly when it connects with them emotionally.”

“The benefits are enormous.”

Have questions about dementia? Call the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500.