Elizabeth Kasimu, the founder and Director of Alzheimer's, Dementia Organisation Kenya, and Simon Githui, a lecturer and researcher at Dedan Kimathi University, through the Global Engagement Research Fund.

The challenge of dementia in Kenya is under-researched, with very limited data on the prevalence and impact on the local community. The societal implications of an ageing population, the rise of dementia, and the effects of social and economic change are not well mapped and are certainly multi-faceted and complex.

Just after Covid restrictions were lifted a group of people previously unknown to each other and from various backgrounds came together with the support of the Vicar of St Chads Church, Sutton Coldfield, to fulfil his wish to set up a dementia friendly café for the local community. We decided to pilot the café for three months and really, as they say, the rest is history. The first café had less than twenty people attend, but by the third we were close to capacity and have stayed there ever since.

I am a walker – I love walking. I love the freedom of roaming around, being curious, looking for often-missed details. I walk on my commute to work; I walk to get my steps in; I walk to take photographs for content for my Twitter and Instagram pages; I walk out of necessity because inner-city parking is too costly and too stressful and public transport is increasingly getting more expensive. I am a proud pedestrian.

Through my experiences, I have seen firsthand the profound impact music can have in fostering moments of connection, comfort, and joy for individuals living with dementia. These insights have significantly shaped my approach in creating this course, as I firmly believe that music possesses a unique ability to engage individuals on an emotional level, enriching their lives in ways that words alone often cannot.

Here’s a sneak peek into the new Music and Dementia Training Course. This program is designed to explore how music can meaningfully contribute to the lives of those living with dementia.

Awareness and training to support the LGBTQ+ community has never been more important. Historical discrimination and unconscious bias can often leave individuals from the community with feelings of deep mistrust. This can lead to social isolation, confusion, and vulnerability. Many also choose to hide their identity in care settings.

The Bellfield Centre, based on the site of the former Stirling Community Hospital, has been the centre of a collaborative arts project. The purpose-built centre provides intermediate health and social care for older people to learn (or re-learn) the skills they need to be independent. 

Part of the arts project saw the redesign and reappropriation of eight park benches from a previous care home. Working with residents, community groups, occupational therapists and dementia specialists, the benches were refurbished and augmented with designed interventions making them more accessible and dementia friendly.