Dementia Clouds
"The loving touch, like music, often utters the things that cannot be spoken." - Ashley Montagu
With techniques developed over the past two decades, specifically designed to work both cognitively and therapeutically, we transform the dementia carer's journey into one of hope, peace, and joy. By creating beautiful memories and fostering deeper bonds, we present a completely new mode of communication that simultaneously reduces stress, feelings of grief, and the sense of loss.
Connect throughout all stages of Dementia
Our therapeutic tools not only positively affect the emotional wellbeing of the carer but are also joyfully embraced by individuals with dementia. These elements can be utilised, even after familiar verbal communication and recall have diminished, yielding profound and meaningful outcomes in the relationship between the carer and the cared-for throughout all stages of dementia, cognitive decline, palliative and end-of-life care.
Our Clouds provide a supportive and uplifting environment, bringing people together, forming new friendships, and transforming lives.
Features
Uplifting and Relaxing
Engaging and fun, we encourage participation and welcome feedback, as this helps determine the direction the Dementia Cloud will take. Relax, while learning essential tools for overcoming difficulties and for sharing with loved ones.
Educational
Build a Caring Cloud with therapeutic tools, along with simple, gentle and repetitive hand and arm massage technique, designed specifically as a communication tool, with meditative strokes to promote mindfulness, grounding and peace.
Balancing Care and Time
Bringing together dementia carers who share similar experiences, we provide a supportive and safe environment for respite and relaxation, carefully timed to alleviate concerns about extended absences from loved ones.
Nurturing
We facilitate a compassionate environment for families, combining our proficiency in using touch to communicate with individuals with dementia. This creates a supportive space, not only imparting valuable tools but also guiding people through a challenging journey toward peace and acceptance.
Benefits
Transitioning from Trauma to Peace
The use of our tools will increase levels of oxytocin in the blood, helping both carer and a person with dementia to transform feelings of helplessness and frustration into hopefulness and joy.
Calming
Using our tools encourages focus upon the senses to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, regulate blood pressure and alleviate stressful moments for both carer and cared-for.
Maintaining a Loving Connection
Using our massage technique and other tools will benefit both carer and cared-for; serving as a way of loving communication, throughout all stages of dementia and long after verbal skills and recall have ceased.
Overcoming Grief
Carers often feel living grief for the person they remembered and who no longer recognises them. Periods where they can share precious moments and loving touch can alleviate the sense of loss and promote feelings of peace and acceptance for both.
The Bookcase Analogy
The Dementia Friends bookcase analogy likens memories to a bookshelf, where dementia can affect the ability to access certain books (memories). To the left the bookcase gradually loses books and creates frustration and anguish for both carer and the person with dementia.
To the right, the emotional bookcase illustrates that although sometimes shaky and jumbled, all emotions remain. The connection between the two can bring challenges in expressing or recognising certain feelings.
By sharing the tools in our Cloud with carers and families we offer an emotional bridge and a way of connecting to a loved one, while rising above the trauma and frustrations incurred during the progressive stages of dementia.
