Creative Spaces

Year one report

Creative Spaces is improving the physical, social and psychological well-being of older people living with dementia in residential care. It has created a core group of people who have collectively enjoyed a productive and successful first year of supportive activities, training workshops and increased social interaction.

The first 12 months of activity have been extremely successful and productive, exceeding expectations with the launch of a comprehensive programme of activity and significant links made with people with dementia and their surrounding community.

Outcomes for the first year

Residents and care staff from Trevarna, along with relatives and local young people have engaged in creative activities relating to outdoor environments. Whenever possible, those activities have taken place outdoors either at Trevarna or at other locations within the community such as the Eden Project, the china clay landscape and garden centres.

We have provided training for care staff, home carers, relatives and other dementia professionals in:

• Dementia awareness
• Activities that support communication and social interaction
• The benefits of outdoor environments
• Other supportive services available within the St. Austell area for home carers and service providers

Young people from Penrice Community College have been involved in this first year. They acquired basic skills in horticulture (planting techniques, use of compost, planting styles) and in communicating with people with dementia and received dementia awareness training.

Sensory Trust established a network of key local community members to support the project through attendance at events and activities and to help disseminate information. In July 2010, Cornwall Care and Sensory Trust organised a community summer fête in the gardens of Trevarna where we provided information about dementia and the aims of the project. Trevarna residents were also involved in the organisation and running of the fête and had opportunities to engage with members of the community.

Local service providers and members of the public attended dementia awareness workshops presented by Cornwall Care and the Sensory Trust in August. Other organisations in Cornwall, who provide support and advice for carers and people with dementia, also provided information at this event, for example a local Age Concern Day Centre for people with dementia and the Carer Support Network at Cornwall Rural Community Council. Presentations on the use of outdoor environments and related activities have were given to members of the Dementia Service Forum; the Memory Café Network including volunteers; carers (including care home staff and home carers); and members of the St. Austell Town Council.  We also provided training to members of the Countryside Access and Activities Network (CAAN) in Northern Ireland in April, in engaging communities (with a focus on older people with dementia) in outdoor environments. 

Through conversations with care staff, relatives, young people and the residents of Trevarna we are aware that the project has had a positive impact on them.  Testimonials show that:

• Residents enjoy being outside in public places and the increase in social interaction that presents
• Young people have gained greater knowledge of dementia and skills in communicating with people with dementia
• Care staff are beginning to understand the benefits of using gardens and related activities in improving quality of life for their residents and have learnt more about those they care for as they spend more quality time with them
• Family members report having more meaningful visits with their relatives through conversations based on gardens and related memories

The project has become a case study for Angie MacDonald, a PhD student from the University College, Falmouth, researching restorative gardens and well-being.  Her research is helping us to evaluate the success of the project and we have included her personal observations and summary of interviews held with staff at Trevarna in the supporting documents included in the hard copy of this report.

We have established connections with the Cornwall Memory Café Network, a network of 18 ‘cafés’ around Cornwall offering activities for carers and those they care for, a few hours each week within venues in the local community.

Cornwall Care has begun to take the project activities and training subjects into three of its other homes; taking the lead on training care staff and championing this style of care provision.

Lessons so far

We have learnt that more time needs to be spent focusing on training for care staff and family members. They struggle to see how use of outdoor environments and engaging with community life can add meaning to their own roles within the care of people with dementia. 

Alongside care staff and relatives we need to include local businesses and service providers in the educational process. As dementia is often hidden within communities they do not see the importance of having greater understanding of dementia; they do not see people with dementia as part of their customer base.

We have two years to go on this project and we are looking forward to the development of the community space, and further activities to enage older people with dementia, young people and the wider community.

Registered Charity No. 1020670. Company limited by guarantee No. 02811046

© 2010 Sensory Trust