As the second stage of the World Cup begins in earnest, it has emerged that Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland is mounting a proposal to roll out internationally a football reminiscences project that has already had startling results in stimulating the memories of men with dementia in Scotland.

In March, new research conducted by the university together with the Scottish Football Museum, Alzheimer Scotland and member clubs of the Scottish Football Heritage Network revealed that showing football memorabilia to men with dementia stimulates their memories with quite remarkable results.

The project used match photographs and programmes as the subject of one-to-one or group discussions over a period of 12 months and found that the men responded tremendously well to the memorabilia and were able to chat with others about their memories of players and events.

The wife of one of the men involved in the study, said: “I drive here with this sad person with dementia and I take home my husband.”

The overriding consensus is that there is more scope for the use of football in stimulating the mind.

Releasing the findings in March alongside Motherwell and ex-Scotland Football Manager, Craig Brown, Professor Debbie Tolson, Director of Glasgow Caledonian University’s centre for evidence based care of older people said: “This was a fascinating study that revealed impressive results. The men’s life-long interest in football connected them to their former selves and shared memories. There is very little provided specifically for men with dementia and this is a welcome and positive innovation.”

Dr Irene Schofield of Glasgow Caledonian University led the study � collecting data and undertaking analysis � while Professor Tolson was a co-researcher bringing her internationally recognised expertise in realistic evaluation methodologies to bear.

Professor Tolson added: “We have had a tremendous response to this research, with Canada considering adopting the same principle with ice hockey. At the moment, I am gathering together a group of researchers to mount a proposal to roll out the concept to other European countries.”

Football memories brightening lives

The original project was funded by Museums and Galleries Scotland working alongside Alzheimer Scotland, Culture and Sport Glasgow, the Scottish Library and Information Council and a number of football clubs from around Scotland.

Robert Craig, Chairman of the Scottish Football Museum, commented: “It is great that football memories stretching over many years can brighten the lives of people suffering from dementia.”

When the original project was launched, Henry Simmons Chief Executive Alzheimer Scotland added: "This is a truly innovative and imaginative project and Alzheimer Scotland is extremely happy to have been involved from its earliest stages. The Scottish Football Museum has not only created a marvellous tool for engaging with men with dementia, but also ensured that research was carried out in the pilot, providing an impressive body of evidence.”

Meanwhile, another academic at Glasgow Caledonian University � Professor Hugh O’Donnell of the Caledonian Business School � has been researching what he calls “the cultural capital of football” and is feeding into Professor Tolson’s project. He said: “People use football to structure the memory of their lives. They may not be able to especially recall 2010, but they will remember whether their team won or lost at the World Cup.”

Professor O’Donnell has also made studies of how the media cover major sporting events across the world and has just finished a paper on the Tartan Army (the term of endearment use to describe Scottish football fans).

More information: http://www.gcu.ac.uk/newsevents/news/bydate/2010/1/name,11304,en.h

Elder Abuse - Not in Ireland, surly not... the land of respect and dignity for older epoeple, No it couldn't happen here. But a recent report by the HSE proves that it can and does, and is on the increase. The report shows that its elder abuse service received 1,870 allegations of elder abuse last year.

Elder abuse is one of the great final taboos and hidden forms of abuse in Ireland and reports like this shine a light on the scale of the problem, as well as reassuring older people who are currently being abused that they don’t have to put up with this treatment and that help is at hand.

Older people who are being abused should take comfort from the report, which shows that last year over 1,800 older people took the first step to ending the abuse they had suffered. The Voice of Older People, along with other Older People Organisations would urge older people who are in situations of abuse to take action and get the contact number for their local elder abuse case worker who for Donegal is Mr Seamu McGarvey, and can be contatced on Tel 074 9177747. The HSE can be contacted at 1850 24 1850

If we work togther we can end this blight on irish society.

Only 13 per cent of people believe a person with dementia can have a good quality of life at all stages of their condition according to a recent report commissioned by the Alzheimer’s Society in the UK. The report, “My Name is Not Dementia”, was compiled by the Mental Health Commission and draws on the views of people with dementia including author Sir Terry Pratchett who has written a foreword for the report. The report lists ten criteria that people with dementia said were important for improving quality of life. It also found significant variations among people with ethnic backgrounds living in the community and people with severe dementia living in care homes. The Alzheimer's Society hopes to use these findings to develop a way to monitor quality of life for people with dementia which could be used to assess the success of policy and service provision.

The Voice of Older People Donegal are delighted to be working in partnership with Sole Purpose production in bringing a new play portraying the issue of older abuse, See No Evil to two venues in Donegal during the month of June.

The Production will coincide with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15th. This annual event was established by the United Nations to give abuse and neglect of older adults a global relevance and to highlight appropriate action.

The play looks at financial, emotional and psychological abuse. It illustrates the subtle dynamic that exists between the victim and the perpetrator and the difficulties in recognising this kind of abuse.



Written by Patricia Byrne and directed by Shauna Kelpie, See No Evil tells the story of how vulnerable elderly farmer Danny, illiterate and living alone, is “looked after” by his neighbours. Grateful for their assistance, he is unaware that these helpful neighbours are actually helping themselves to his finances, manipulating his thoughts and actions, and turning him against the only family he has left. When his niece visits from London, she can sense that something sinister is in the air but is she too late to stop it?



Writer Shauna Kelpie said “ We are grateful to the funders: the Arts Council of Northern Ireland National Lottery Fund, the Department of Justice and the DHSSPS for supporting this tour on this important issue.”



This riveting play looks at financial, emotional and psychological abuse. It illustrates the subtle dynamic that exists between the victim and the perpetrator and the difficulties in recognising this kind of abuse.



The cast includes Jack Quinn as Danny, he recently appeared in Big Telly`s stage production of Spike Milligan`s Puckoon and Tinderbox`s Bruised and The Duke of Hope; Kieran Kelly plays Mikey the neighbour, his previous roles have included Philadelphia, Here I Come by the Lifford Players, and Blue Eagle's production of Love in a Bottle. Kieran also won Best Supporting Actor at the 2010 Derry Drama Festival. Patricia Byrne plays Tara the niece, she wrote and performed Don't Say A Word (which examines domestic violence), it was staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2008 and was nominated for an Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award. Director Shauna Kelpie was Assistant Director to Siobhan O’Casey for The O’Casey Theatre Company and was also the director of the Foyle Film Festival.



Gilly Campbell, Arts Council Drama officer, commented: “Good drama provokes thought, stimulates debate and at its best can even evoke change. The Arts Council is proud to support this provocative new work from Sole Purpose, which will undoubtedly resonate with audiences across Northern Ireland.”





Mark McCollum, from the Voice of Older People, Donegal said “that the play offers insights into complexity of elder abuse, which for too long has been viewed as a taboo subject. Drama provides the perfect vehicle to start a discussion on sensitive issues such as elder abuse which can bring this subject out from the shadows”.


The play is being presented in the Day Centre in Cloghan, on the 10th of June at 2:30pm and in the newly re-opened Abbey Community Arts Centre, Ballyshannon on the 11th June at 2:30pm
http://www.solepurpose.org/

Dame Bakewell was appointed Voice of Older People in England by Harriet Harman in 2008, in order to listen to the views of the elderly and raise their concerns with the authorities but now she has decided to give up this unpaid post. She will instead ask ministers to create a more powerful post of Older People’s Commissioner for England. Wales already has a Commissioner for Older People with statutory powers while Northern Ireland is in the process of appointing one.