Health and wellbeing in Cheshire West and Chester Libraries
Dementia awareness and support
Our library service is committed to supporting and improving the lives of people living with dementia.
We have a wonderful collection, in all libraries, called 'Reading Well Books on Prescription for Dementia' (all available as eBooks via BorrowBox), which not only offer information about dementia and normal ageing, but give support and advice on how to live well after diagnosis. The collection also provides practical advice for carers, personal accounts and suggestions for shared therapeutic activities.
Below are resources which offer support to carers, guardians and family members with activities which aim to enhance the lives of those living with dementia:
- Age UK: advice about adapting your home and also getting the right support for you and your family.
- Alzheimer’s Society: activity ideas for people living with dementia.
- DEEP: The UK Network of Dementia Voices: Dementia Engagement & Empowerment Project (DEEP) engages and empowers people living with dementia to influence services and policies that affect their lives.
- Dementia Friends: Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends programme is the biggest ever initiative to change people’s perceptions of dementia. It aims to transform the way the nation thinks, acts and talks about the condition.
- Dementia UK: advice for people with dementia and their families.
For local support, advice and services:
Arts and culture
- Armchair Gallery: this is an app that brings world-class art and culture to users. It includes instructions for tried and tested creative activities to explore with people with dementia.
- Dementia UK: top film suggestions for people with dementia. Many of the films can be found for free on YouTube.
Music
- BBC Music Memories: BBC Music Memories is designed to use music to help people reconnect with their most powerful memories. Create a playlist and discover the nation’s favourite music memories.
- The ‘D’ word: the UK’s only dementia-based radio show.
- Music Mirrors: ‘Music Mirrors’ is a brief life story of someone (with dementia), written in their own words, with sounds and music embedded to spark memories later. Not a playlist but a memory toolkit. Participants will need to be assisted in registering to the site.
- Playlist for Life: using music to connect people with dementia to their family members and carers. People can make a personal playlist alone, with their partner, or remotely with family members. Family members can also make playlists for each other and share musical memories.
Singing for the brain (Alzheimer’s Society)
Singing for the Brain brings people affected by dementia together, to sing a variety of songs that they know and love, in a fun and friendly environment.
- Chester: United Community Church, Hoole Road, Chester, CH2 3NT
- Frodsham: Main Street Community Church, 61 Main Street, Frodsham, WA6 7DF
- Hartford: Hartford Village Hall, 244 Chester Road, CW8 1LW
- Winsford: Trinity Methodist Church Hall, Trinity Fields, CW7 3GP
For dates and times, email cheshire@alzheimers.org.uk or call 0300 369 0570
Exercise
- Age UK exercise for the over 50s: gentle exercise and balancing videos available.
- Love to Move (British Gymnastics): age and dementia friendly seated gymnastics programme, which is transforming the lives of people living with dementia.
Memories and reminiscence
- BBC Reminiscence Archive: provides access to a selection of content from the BBC Archives, designed to support reminiscence therapy and developed for people with dementia, based on photographs, photo books, boxes of objects and materials and interactive computer applications.
- My House of Memories: My House of Memories (found on NHS app library) allows you to explore objects from the past and share memories together. It can be used by anyone, but has been designed for, and with, people living with dementia and their carers.
- Online dementia memory videos: engaging and stimulating online video sessions support the needs of people in all stages of dementia. Brought to you by Care Visions (Digital Dementia Online Resource winner for 2020).
Memory Cafes
Over a cuppa and slice of cake people affected by dementia, including carers, can meet other people, share experiences and enjoy some precious time away from their usual routines.
Chester:
- Chester Zoo (Bembe Café): 10.30am-12pm, second and fourth Monday of the month.
Ellesmere Port:
- Waterside Café, National Waterways Museum: 10.30am-12pm fourth Friday of every month.
Frodsham:
- Main Street Memory Cafe (Community Church, WA6 7DF): 10.30am-2.30pm, Wednesdays.
Neston:
- Parkgate & Neston United Reform Church (CH64 6UZ): 2pm-4pm, second Thursday of the month (with Dementia Together Wirral).
Tarporley:
- Tarporley Community Centre: 11.30am-1pm, second and fourth Wednesday of the month.
