Journey with the Arts & Dementia (JADe) goes digital! Tap on the following resources as reminiscence activities and conversation starters for you and your loved ones with dementia. All you need is a laptop or a tablet, and you are all set to have meaningful, deeper dialogues.
Topic 1: Old School Games
It’s a blast from the past! Recount childhood days together with the traditional game-related items in this kit. Talk to your loved ones about if they used to play these games, how they did it, and encourage them to recount more about their childhood before wrapping up with an activity that you can do together!
Topic 2: Household (Cooking Items)
Cook up some conversation with these old school cooking items that would have been found around the house in the past. Loved ones who enjoyed cooking for the whole family can share stories with these nostalgic items, and you can even talk about your favourite foods growing up. Spice up your session with some simple crafts that both of you can enjoy.
Topic 3: Household (Heritage Items)
Revisit memories of our heritage with your loved ones with some traditional items that could be found in various households. Get your family member to talk about if their household used these items, or if they knew others who did, and let the conversation flow from there. At the end of this activity, take some time out to sing some heritage songs together—it’s sure to bring a smile to your faces.
Topic 4: Household (Lifestyle Items)
The items in this kit would have been very useful to many households in the past. Learn more about how life has changed by encouraging your loved one to reminisce about how these lifestyle items were used in the past. Round up this activity with a discussion of the modern equivalent of these items, and how life has changed as these items have become more convenient.
Topic 5: Wedding Related Items
Weddings have changed a lot; revisit the old customs and let your loved one recount stories of their own wedding or those of their family and friends. It’s a great way to learn more about old traditions while guiding your loved one through reminiscence of memories which are likely to be very significant to them. Finish the session by crafting a beautiful plastic bouquet together.
About Journey with the Arts and Dementia (JADe)
Supported by the Chua Foundation, Journey with Arts & Dementia (JADe) is a capability-building programme which aims to train individuals to spearhead and lead in various reminiscence engagements for persons with cognitive impairment and dementia. Dementia Singapore remains committed to finding ways to involve and inform the community on the use of arts and reminiscence engagement to benefit more persons with dementia and their families.
