Professor Martin Green, CEO of Care England, talks about the power of reminiscence resources like Ad-Memoire:
“Reminiscence is one of the most important ways in which we support people living with dementia. Through connecting with important events and past memories people can often improve their quality-of-life and well-being. Ad-Memoire is a fantastic resource that will really enable staff to connect with care home residents and deliver the benefits of reminiscence to many more people”
Professor Martin Green OBE Care England, Chief Executive
Ad-Memoire has been improving patients wellbeing on hospital wards by stimulating treasured memories for patients, thanks to the generous support of the Alan Boswell Group Charitable Trust (ABGCT).
ABGCT have sponsored Ad-Memoire’s use in hospitals across East Anglia
For patients living with dementia, a stay in hospital can be disorientating, frightening and confusing, and so the provision of stimulation and emotional support plays an important part in making the experience less challenging. Several hospitals across East Anglia are finding that sharing themed reels of vintage ads created by Ad-Memoire on tablets and iPads is really helping to tick this box.
The Alan Boswell Group Charitable Trust have funded the licensing of Ad-Memoire to a number of hospitals across East Anglia, bringing warm feelings of nostalgia to patients living with dementia in a number of different hospital settings.
Dementia Support Worker with a patient at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital
At the Julian Hospital in Norwich, Senior Occupational Therapist Alex Kemp and his team assess patients with varying levels of cognitive impairment and have found Ad-Memoire to be a helpful tool to use one-to-one with patients:
“Ad-Memoire helps us to assess patients’ ability by witnessing how they communicate, focus and see the world. At a time when we are there to remind patients that they aren’t managing their short-term memory, it is nice to accompany that with an opportunity for them to exercise their long-term memory and teach us something.”
A team of volunteers at James Paget Hospital have been using Ad-Memoire with patients
At hospitals in the North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust and the James Paget Hospital in Great Yarmouth, volunteers have been using Ad-Memoire on the wards to spark an instant connection with patients. Rebecca Kennedy, a Dementia Befriender at James Paget, says Ad-Memoire is a “fantastic tool” and recalls her first experience of using it with a patient:
“It was when I showed a lady an old Persil advert of some children playing in the street and her reaction was amazing! Her face lit up and it opened up the conversation. I wanted to keep using it again to get more reactions like that, where patients could talk about their experiences and memories.”
‘I remember playing in the street like that when I was a girl’
At the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, the very first to trial Ad-Memoire back in January 2020, Ad-Memoire has become an invaluable resource for the Dementia Support Team. Liz Yaxley, who heads the team, has been using it throughout lockdown and is grateful to ABGCT for allowing them to continue:
“I am always looking out for ways to improve wellbeing of patients in our care, this app has surpassed our expectations. It adds a little sparkle to the day. The adverts on the app bring back happy memories and generate great conversations and it’s great fun singing along to the catchy tunes. Laughter is a great medicine.”
The themed reels of TV ads can be selected to play appropriate to a patient’s interests or needs and the team at the N&N also reported that watching ads of food before mealtimes helps stimulate patients’ appetites.
ABGCT is an independent subsidiary of Alan Boswell Insurance, the insurance and financial planning group with offices across the East of England. The Trust distributes a percentage of company profits to local causes, and so they were delighted to be able to support HAT in rolling out Ad-Memoire to be enjoyed by patients in local hospitals:
“We’re delighted to support the History of Advertising Trust with their app to be used within the NHS. Sadly, dementia will have an impact on all of our lives in some shape or form, so it’s great to see new initiatives that support the wellbeing of patients living with dementia.”
With Ad-Memoire proving to be a valuable, versatile resource for patient care in hospital settings across East Anglia, HAT are looking to expand the reach of Ad-Memoire into more hospitals throughout the UK and are actively seeking hospitals and sponsors who would like to take part.
Rt Hon Sir Norman Lamb, former Minister for Care & Support and longstanding and active campaigner for Mental Health, urges individuals and organisations to recognise the value of a reminiscence resource like Ad-Memoire:
“What a fantastic resource! Reminiscence is very powerful for people with dementia. These advertisements will be so meaningful for many people. I am excited that following successful trials, Ad-Memoire is having such a positive impact being used on wards at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital and others in the region. This could bring joy to so many people across our county and beyond in care homes and in people’s own homes. I urge organisations to embrace this wonderful resource which also offers such a fascinating contribution to social history.”
Ad-Memoire 