Kids remove stigma around dementia
An Adelaide primary school’s dementia care and education program has won an award for its success, while helping to remove some of the stigma surrounding the disease which is now labelled the third biggest killer in Australia behind heart disease and cancer.
An Adelaide primary school’s dementia care and education program has won an award for its success, while helping to remove some of the stigma surrounding the disease which is now labelled the third biggest killer in Australia behind heart disease and cancer.
Forbes Primary School in South Plympton won the Emmanuel Bailly Award from the St Vincent De Paul Social Justice Awards as a result of its dementia care program which sees students visiting the high-care dementia unit at Bupa Aged Care in Morphettville every Tuesday as they interact with residents through games, music and conversation.
The program is the brainchild of long-time friends, Forbes teacher Jane Opie and care manager at Bupa Morphettville, Robyn Caruso, who say it began with just a “car full of kids”, and there are now 70 children involved in the program.
Attending an information session before arriving at Bupa Morphettville, the children are educated about the disease and are reportedly enjoying the program which has also improved the self-esteem of some students.
The benefits for the residents at Bupa Morphettville are equally as important.
“This builds self-esteem in residents as well. People with dementia can lose their self-esteem when they can’t do a lot of things for themselves, but sitting with the children and teaching them how to play chess, for example, can really improve their wellbeing,” Ms Caruso says.
According to the latest Deloitte Access Economics report, Adelaide suburbs around the Morphettville area reportedly carry the highest percentage of people living with dementia in Australia.
