The Impact of MonLife Learning on People Living with Dementia and their Carers - Monlife

The Impact of MonLife Learning on People Living with Dementia and their Carers

Project Overview:

MonLife Heritage Learning runs a number of facilitated outreach programmes that use social history and historic objects from their handling collections to encourage social interaction, improve wellbeing and raise confidence levels. The service also delivers volunteer training in using objects for reminiscence and self-led reminiscence resources for use in residential care settings.

Key Objectives:

▪ Improve wellbeing. 

▪ Reduce social isolation.

▪ Improve confidence and self-esteem.

▪ Provide community-based activity.

Project Outputs/Outcomes

The dementia-related projects have proved invaluable in reaching both individuals living with dementia and their family caregivers or occupational therapists. Outreach provision has ensured the service is accessible, using their collections to enhance wellbeing.

A Holistic Approach

To offer a unified approach to supporting people living with dementia, museum staff obtained funding from the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) to partner with the National Exercise Referral Scheme (NERS). This enabled participants to increase their physical activity for an hour a week, over a ten-week period. Afterwards, the Heritage Learning Service provided themed reminiscence sessions, object handling and a craft-based activity.

Creative Conversations

‘Creative Conversations’ is a weekly programme located at Cadw’s Caerwent Roman Town. It provides activity for people living with Dementia and their carers. On alternate weeks, participants engage in a reminiscence activity and historic object handling. This allows opportunities for conversation and new learning. Following each reminiscence and handling session, a related craft is offered, providing focus and relaxation opportunities.

The programme was shaped around the interests and experiences of participants who complete a personal questionnaire entitled ‘This is me’ at the beginning of the programme. This person-centred approach enables participants to ‘be the expert’ on a particular subject, which has proved invaluable for confidence and self esteem.

Volunteer Reminiscence Scheme

A wide selection of reminiscence boxes can be hired out by care workers or used by the learning service volunteers. A training programme for community volunteers has been developed to aid 7 capacity, so that resources can be taken out to care homes and used in memory cafés in community venues. The first training session was delivered in February 2024 to 14 volunteers and was supported through ‘Be Community Monmouthshire’, a Monmouthshire County Council community leadership programme. Volunteer training includes how to use museum objects as prompts/triggers for encouraging the sharing of life experiences, why museum objects are valuable in reminiscence work, the benefits of reminiscence for the participant, safeguarding and how to safely facilitate a reminiscence session.

Health and Wellbeing

Through observation, attendance, impact cards and questionnaires, feedback has been obtained relating to wellbeing.

“I always go home feeling relaxed and less stressed”

“[It] helped me to gain confidence… [it] stopped me feeling lonely at home”.

“… I got something to get out of bed for”.

[I have experienced a] “…reduction in anxiety and increased confidence and learning to be more creative”

Project participants

Reflection

Helping people to ‘live well with Dementia’ means listening and responding to what participants want and adapting programmes to ensure that this is at the heart of planning. A crucial part of encouraging people to participate in the programmes is working with community organisations, memory clinics, health board practitioners, commissioners and community workers.

More work possibly needs to be done around demonstrating the value of using museum collections with people living with Dementia and their carers and sharing this with medical professionals. This would encourage social prescribing to become an embedded part of holistic support for this target audience.

Funding and capacity to deliver vs. demand is a challenge. Meeting the need with diminishing budgets will become more difficult, potentially leading to a reduction/cessation of services.

Next Steps

  • A further cohort of volunteers will commence training in summer 2025.
  • The museum programme intends to develop a 1980’s themed reminiscence box, as the trend is showing there are more people with early onset dementia.
  • Funding has been obtained for at least two more NERS programmes across the county, so the project will continue.
  • Further funding is being sought to continue and develop the Creative Conversations programme at Caerwent
  • Expansion of the reminiscence service will occur through the volunteers.

This post is also available in: Welsh