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Boandik leaves no stone unturned when ensuring the best life possible for residents

It can be a challenging space to work in – people living with dementia – but some surprising methods are reaping rewards and Boandik’s memory units, Moore Court at Lake Terrace and Hakea at St Mary’s are implementing the tried and true strategies to assist residents to express themselves in ways beyond verbal communication.

Art, music and pet therapy are all part of helping dementia residents to live their best life.

According to Allied Health Professionals Australia, art therapy can be helpful for people who cannot verbalise their feelings because of developmental, cognitive, or other conditions.

Alongside pet therapy and music therapy, the arts are incorporated into the lives of Boandik’s residents living with dementia.

Boandik Lake Terrace residential manager Theresa Connor, who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Dementia Care, said art therapy was all about self-expression.

“The art therapy that we incorporate is all about providing residents with the artistic tools—like paints, pencils and paper, among others—and allowing them to express themselves,” she said.

“It’s not about having something to show at the end of the session but about self-expression.

“I’m very passionate about people living well with dementia.”

For some of Boandik’s residents, pictures and drawings of farm animals conjure memories of working the land, of riding horses across country.

“…music affects the brain differently than just about any other activity because it uses so many different parts of the brain simultaneously…” Vincent Taylor (Boandik dementia specialist)

The act of folding paper into shapes rekindles a person’s connection with their former line of work, in the case of a resident who was once a cleaner.

It could even be the touch of something fluffy like a duckling, a chicken, a lamb, or a companion dog.

Artist Trudy Tandberg, who delivers sessions at Boandik, said art therapy was used to draw trauma out of people and, to an extent, link into things they identify with their identities.

Art therapy at Boandik is also used alongside pet, music, and play therapies.

In the case of music therapy, Boandik dementia specialist Vincent Taylor said a favourite song could transport its listeners back to their memories.

“Music affects the brain differently than just about any other activity because it uses so many different parts of the brain simultaneously,” Mr Taylor said.

“Scientists think this may cause a release of the feel-good hormones, such as dopamine and serotonin, in large volumes at one time, allowing the listener to feel better

“…it’s not about having something to show at the end of the session but about self-expression…” Theresa Connor (Boandik Lake Terrace residential manager)

than they normally would.

“This is important as well because both dopamine and serotonin are neurotransmitters as well as hormones and their normal function can be affected by dementia, which may be one of the reasons people diagnosed with dementia so often have depression.”

It comes just weeks after the Rotary Club of West Mount Gambier donated to Boandik more than 40 sets of headphones, each capable of holding preloaded and personalised music.

The initiative is in support of Boandik’s residents living with dementia.

Moreover, the headphones arrived as Boandik received delivery of two groundbreaking projectors, known as ‘Tovertafel’ (in Dutch, ‘Magic Table’).

These project interactive visuals onto surfaces for play-based therapy in aged care settings.

Boandik fundraisers and donors secured the projectors for Boandik Moore Court and Hakea. The projectors were purchased for $16,000 each.

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