Blind dementia care project funded

A new project will assess how best to care for the thousands of people in Scotland with both dementia and sight loss.

The charity Royal Blind has received funding to research what activities those living in care homes find most rewarding and how they can be tailored to their needs.

Royal Blind said people with dementia enjoy reminiscing through photographs or watching films, which can be challenging for people without full sight. Instead, the charity organises tasting activities so residents can reminisce through sampling traditional local foods.

Mental health minister Clare Haughey will officially launch the project on Wednesday at Jenny’s Well in Paisley, Renfrewshire. It is one of Scotland’s two specialist care homes for sight loss run by Royal Blind, with the other in Edinburgh.

The research comes after the charity was awarded £20,000 by the Life Changes Trust over two years.