TY’s Conor is on the ball for dementia
EACH year in Ireland over 4,000 people develop dementia. That’s at least 11 people every day and anyone can get dementia – even people in their 30s,40s or 50s.
Conor Nolan, a Transition Year student in St Mary’s Diocesan School, as part of his Enterprise project has designed a ‘ Throw and Tell: Dementia Activity Ball’ for people with Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
Each panel on the ball features a different preference, experience or memory trigger that anyone can talk about. These could include a favourite toy they had as a child, a car they used to own or a food they enjoy cooking.
“Striking up a chat with someone with dementia may initially seem difficult, especially if you don’t know them that well, but using an activity ball will help to break the ice and turn the process into a fun game,” explains Conor. “The key features of the ball are that it is a useful conversation starter, it builds bond between person with dementia and their carer and helps with reminiscence.”
When a person catches the ball, their thumbs will be on two different panels of the ball. Then they simply choose one of the panels and talk about the topic.
The project ties in with the school’s Transition year ‘Community’ theme and is designed with the elderly the students visit every week in mind.
“The Throw & Tell Conversation Ball is enjoyable for the person with dementia as they’ll relish talking about old memories, and useful for the carer,” adds Conor, “as the more you know about someone, the easier it is to form a bond and learn practical information that will help with an individual care plan”.
Each ball costs €25 with €5 of each sale going towards the Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland. To place an order or for more info contact Conornolan7@gmail.com”