Plays Aloud uses music and poetry from the 60s and 70s in a specially created show for people living with dementiaA theatre company has been bringing festive cheer to care homes across Northern Ireland with a series of performances specially created for people living with dementia.For many care homes, it has marked the return to face-to-face performances after the Covid-19 pandemic.
"If you go in and somebody's having a bad day, they are not really happy and engaging but you hit on the right song and suddenly you see them light up and they'll start singing along and they'll start dancing and that positive mood will carry on maybe even days after we've left," he said. The Christmas tour features four performers working in groups of two to ensure the group can pay a visit to a care home in every county of Northern Ireland."There was a time when a lady, who hadn't really spoken for a while, started to recite every single word of a poem because she had learnt it at primary school.
Fiona McAnespie, from Radius Housing, said she has seen a positive impact on residents, and their families.
Thanks goodness. When I lived in a care home the ambulent residents were just booked the same lady doing the same songs - elvis mainly- every month. Surely we can Do better and have more volunteers.