Together We Stand

April 2020 An activity pamphlet for people with Dementia and their carers

Welcome

Welcome to our second edition of ‘Together we Stand’, a short pamphlet full of activities and ideas that we hope will keep us connected, encourage us to be creative and hopefully bring some cheer into our lives.

We have now been in lockdown for over 3 weeks and it feels like we have started to settle into something that resembles routine. For the most part, these routines are individual, for example our daily exercise, choosing what to watch on TV, or sorting the jobs for today’s gardening. There are however parts to our routines that are a national affair, including the Clap for Key Workers at 8pm on Thursday evenings and tuning in to the daily government briefing. It has been so wonderful to so see how the nation is coming together in such innovative ways despite the physical distancing measures, to spread happiness and love around communities.

In these times, good news stories are always welcome, and it’s been heart-warming to see so many being reported on the news. One story that has grabbed the world’s heart is that of Captain Tom Moore, a 99-year-old Army veteran from Bedfordshire. He hoped to earn £1000 for NHS Charities by walking 100 laps of his garden with his Zimmer-frame before his 100th birthday at the end of the month, as a way of saying thank you to staff who helped care for him following cancer treatment and a broken hip. Captain Moore completed his 100th lap on Thursday 16th April, having raised £14 million at that point, and since then this number has increased to £23 million, and that sum is going up daily. He has helped to bring a smile to the nation by making the most out of an unusual situation and doing something with love in his heart.

While we still are not sure how long the current rules will be in place, one hopes that this sense of solidarity will continue for the weeks to come, and far beyond. Hope is such a key thing at the moment and as signs of Spring start to show, we continue to hold onto the hope they bring.

In friendship,

Katherine, Erica, Ros and Freya Captain Tom Moore If you would like to contribute to the newsletter please email © thesun.co.uk Katherine at Porstwood DAG on:

[email protected]

Page 1 https://www.caraway.uk.com/

Page 2 A Little Bit of Exercise to Start…

Seated exercises - thanks to Sheena Gawler of LaterLife training

Safety advice - ensure the chair you use is sturdy and stable. Wear comfortable clothes and supportive footwear. Prepare a space and have an exercise band (scarf) and a glass of water (for afterwards) ready before you start. While exercising, if you experience chest pain, dizziness or severe shortness of breath, stop immediately and contact your GP. If you experience pain in your joints of muscles, stop, check your position and try again. If the pain persists, seek advice from your GP. However, feeling your muscles working or slight muscle soreness the next day after exercise is normal and show that the exercises are working. Breathe normally throughout and enjoy yourself. Aim to do these exercises twice per week in addition to a short walk in your local area (if possible). If you are using this booklet without attending a supervised exercise session, consult your GP to check it is suitable for you.

To start, follow the exercises from the last issue as a warm-up. If you do not have access to this, do a short warm-up before attempting the exercises below.

Upper Back Strengthener • Hold the band with your palms facing upwards and your wrists straight

• Pull your hands apart then draw the band towards your hips and squeeze your shoulder blades together

• Hold for a slow count of 5 whilst breathing normally • Release, then repeat 7 more times

Thigh Strengthener

• Sit tall at the front of your chair • Place the band under the ball of one foot and grasp it with both hands at knee level • Lift your foot just off the floor then pull your hands to your hips

• Now press your heel away from you until your leg is straight and your heel is just off the floor • Hold for a slow count of 5 then return to the starting position • Repeat 6-8 times on each leg

Well done - take some deep breaths and relax!

Reader contribution Conversation Starter We were so thrilled to have received this image of a completed Use these letters to start a conversation about what this colouring in for us to share with season signifies, e.g. S for sunshine, P for playing with the

everyone. grandchildren. It can revive memories of happy times

S P

R I

N

G

Colouring In

Page 3 Page 4 My History School life

Have a conversation about your school life and share some stories. Why not use the following questions as a guide? • Describe your first school. o How old were you when you first went there? o What do you remember about the place and the teachers? o Did you take any public examinations and how did you do in them? o Did you make any friends at school, did you keep in touch with them after leaving? o What was your favorite subject? o Did you have homework?

Clean out your larder

While at home why not take this time to review your food cupboards, and to see what ingredients are lurking at the back. They might make some novel tasty dishes. I have sometimes bought ingredients for a specific meal or to bake a cake, only using a little and leaving the remainder to live out its days at the back of the cupboard. Sadly, some have been thrown away when I have discovered they are months or even years out of date. Some of my cupboards are so full that I cannot always find what I need before going to the shops so I have rebought things I don’t need. Cleaning out the larder on a regular basis will help to stop this happening and remind us what could be used for a future meal. I was tidying my cupboards and found some chick peas and some spices. This got me thinking about Northern Africa – a place I have never visited but it always looks great in the photos. Here is a recipe for a Moroccan style vegetable stew. The vegetables can be changed for others and the spices reduced or omitted. Why not have a go?

Tin chickpeas, tin tomatoes (if you can get them), 1 tablespoon tomato puree, 1 onion chopped, half of teaspoon of coriander, cumin, cinnamon, 2 garlic cloves crushed, 1 red pepper, 1 courgette, 1 aubergine and 250 ml stock, 4 prunes or apricots chopped small and some parsley to garnish. - Fry the onion and garlic in a spray of olive oil for 5 minutes. - Add the spices and fry for a minute until fragrant. - Add the veg, fry for 8-10 minutes until they’re coated in the spices and start to take on colour. - Add the chickpeas, stock, and apricots/ prunes. - Season and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. - Scatter over the parsley and serve with couscous, if you like. If you can’t get tinned tomatoes you can use fresh tomatoes or just tomato puree and water.

Enjoy, let us know how you got on if you tried this recipe.

Wordsearch Page 5

T U P I L U Z E N O M E N A P D M A G N O L I A C H I W

A R A T L E R H K B A E L O L E I F N I T O O L M A H N P C L H F N L N S U E T E S O A P A I O S A H E L H L M R A N C Z A D R C B L E L U D T A S A A L I O E I R E N I Y F R Y L P L L L A P B R H Y N O E P U E I L K I O U W E I G E L A M H U S L R B I R C R O C U S I I M U E I C A I S E E R F R R A T Z V

E T I N O C A I D O P O R E

Daffodil Lilac Aconite Daphne

Crocus Allium Bluebell Weigela

Tulip Anemone Iris Heather Hyacinth Hellebore Magnolia Peony Camellia Azalea Primula

Pansy Viburnum Freesia

Sudoku Page 6

A Trip Across the World

The Joys of the Shetland Islands - by Freya Elliott 110 miles from the Scottish mainland lie the Shetland Islands. A group of roughly 100 islands, of which 16 are inhabited, house a population of around 23,000 people. To get there you have two options. You can either fly which takes just over an hour (provided the fog hasn’t rolled in so you can land safely), or you can take the overnight ferry from Aberdeen which takes around 12 hours and is definitely the more ‘adventurous’ option. Lerwick is the only town in the Shetland islands, and it is home to about a third of the entire population of the islands. Lerwick has everything you could wish for in terms of amenities; a theatre, a sports centre, a large supermarket, even a nightclub! The main industries in the Shetland Islands are fishing, farming, and energy production. One of the main attractions of the Shetland Islands is the wildlife. There is all sorts to see, from birds, to otters, even orcas if you are lucky. Noss is a virtually uninhabited island that you can get to relatively easily from Lerwick. It is home to a whole array of this wonderful wildlife. If you choose to walk all the way around the island of Noss, you get to experience the joys of puffins running around your feet, the cliff edge covered in a wall of nesting gannets and the seals making the most of the small area of beach to have a sunbathe. It is truly a breathtaking experience. These photos were taken by Freya on her last trip to the Shetland Islands.

Page 7 Sporting Memories Written by Catherine Elliott Hampshire Football

Southampton Football Club was founded in 1885 and played their matches at various venues until 1898 when they moved into The Dell. In 2001 the team moved to the St Mary’s Stadium which is near St Mary’s Church. The original FC was founded by members of the St Mary’s Church Young Men’s Association. Southampton’s nickname is the Saints. Portsmouth Football Club was founded in 1898. In 1899 their ground was opened. This is still their home. Portsmouth are known as Pompey. Portsmouth have twice been Champions of the Football League in 1948-49 and 1949-50. Southampton were runners-up in 1983-84. Portsmouth won the FA Cup in 1939 and 2008. Southampton have won the Cup only once in 1976. Both teams have been runners-up three times. The ‘’ matches between Southampton and Portsmouth started in 1899. There have been 71 matches between the two clubs at the top level of football since then as the two teams have not always been in the same division. At the present time there have been a total of 140 matches at all levels between Southampton and Portsmouth including cup ties – Portsmouth winning 62, Southampton 57 and 21 have been drawn.

Two men have been the manager at both clubs – Alan Ball and .

Hampshire

Hampshire County Cricket Club were founded in 1863 and is one of 18 first class cricket counties in England and Wales. Hampshire originally played at the , Southampton until 1885 when they relocated to the County Ground, Southampton until 2000, before moving to the purpose-built Rose Bowl in West End, also known as the Ageas Bowl, which is in the Borough of Eastleigh.

The club won the County Championship in 1961 and 1973. Famous cricketers who have played for Hampshire include the former England captain David Gower, C B Fry and Kevin Pietersen; Australians Shane Warne and Michael Clarke; South African Barry Richards and West Indies Gordon Greenidge and Malcolm Marshall.

Page 8 Information that might help you during this time

• Admiral Nurses: 0300 123 4026 - support to carers’ of people living with dementia

• Alzheimer’s Society: 0330 333 0804 - huge range of information sheets and support for carers and people living with dementia

• Carers in Southampton: 023 8058 2387 - offer the services below on weekdays by phone/email 9am-5pm. - Email: [email protected] - Website at https://www.carersinsouthampton.co.uk has information on many support services. o Carers’ Assessments evaluate support needs and eligibility for a personal wellbeing payment. o Carers’ Cards give you access to some discounts and identify you as a carer. o Carers’ Support Workers signpost relevant support services and make referrals on your behalf.

• Independent Age: 0800 319 6789 - Advice and support for older age, information sheets on money, housing, health, future planning, personal life, support and care

• Meals on Wheels accepting new referrals on 023 80 83 38 66 or by email on [email protected]

• Southampton City Council: 023 8083 4800 - Community Support Hub, to ensure vulnerable people have access to the support they need, helpline open Monday to Friday 8.30am-5pm

• Southampton: Help for self-isolating members of our communities – if you live in Southampton and are self-isolating or quarantined due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there is help at hand. We are a group of volunteers who can help you with shopping and other necessities. Call or text on 07923 353365 to arrange this. Note: this is not a medical advice line. Please call 111 for medical advice.