Alzheimer's Day 2022:
Old People's Home for...
One of my favourite TV series over the past couple of years has been Old People’s Home for Four-Year-Olds on the ABC. Witnessing the pure joy the children and adults experience in each other’s company, and discovering the positive physical, psychological and emotional benefits that these interactions have on each group is illuminating and heart-warming. I witnessed a similar thing when I took my young children to visit their grandmother in an aged care home, and it became the impetus behind writing my first picture book, When I See Grandma, illustrated by Leigh Hedstrom and published by Wombat Books.
My mother had dementia, and in the later stages of the disease, she was often unresponsive when we visited. However, my kids still looked forward to visiting their grandma, and they put on little performances, like dances or playing piano/violin (at their very beginner level) for the residents who were around. And they always stopped to chat with the residents – and chat, and chat and chat! My kids got the know the residents and were excited to visit each week.
My mother had dementia, and in the later stages of the disease, she was often unresponsive when we visited. However, my kids still looked forward to visiting their grandma, and they put on little performances, like dances or playing piano/violin (at their very beginner level) for the residents who were around. And they always stopped to chat with the residents – and chat, and chat and chat! My kids got the know the residents and were excited to visit each week.
In my book, the main character’s grandmother is asleep each visit, but this doesn’t stop them connecting via sensory experiences. And if you look carefully in the pictures, you will see a visual narrative that is not in the text, as our character’s little bother engages in simple play with the other residents. The children’s visit brings joy and delight to all. When families with young children visit aged care homes, everyone benefits.
Wednesday 21st September is World Alzheimer’s Day - a day to be mindful of the needs of those with dementia, whether living in care homes or the community, and human connection is such a basic need. I wrote When I See Grandma to encourage connection, so if you know someone who might benefit, why not gift them a copy? Or donate a copy to an aged care facility for their common room, or even request your local or school library purchase a copy - my local library has two copies, and they are almost always on loan!
I hear there’s an Old People’s Home for Teenagers now. I look forward to watching that series too!
Wednesday 21st September is World Alzheimer’s Day - a day to be mindful of the needs of those with dementia, whether living in care homes or the community, and human connection is such a basic need. I wrote When I See Grandma to encourage connection, so if you know someone who might benefit, why not gift them a copy? Or donate a copy to an aged care facility for their common room, or even request your local or school library purchase a copy - my local library has two copies, and they are almost always on loan!
I hear there’s an Old People’s Home for Teenagers now. I look forward to watching that series too!
Debra Tidball is an award-winning of picture books and short stories for children. When I See Grandma won the children’s section of the CALEB Prize for faith inspired writing, was shortlisted for the Speech Pathology Book of the Year and is on the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge. Visit Debra’s website at www.debratidball.com for more.
Find out more about Dementia Australia here: https://www.dementia.org.au/
Find out more about Dementia Australia here: https://www.dementia.org.au/
To read my archived Alzheimer's Day/Dementia Awareness week posts, click here.