When asked how she was coping living with dementia during lockdown, Frances told us:
I am not sure I have anything useful to give on this subject of lockdown because I am not suffering in any way and neither are any members of my family.
The thing is that I feel safe and secure and relatively in control of my dementia issues when I am at home. Things mostly go wrong when I am out, although not exclusively. I live in an isolated area so the only thing I miss is seeing my friends. However, Zoom has been a huge gift in that respect and I now know my neighbours far better than I did as we all meet in the fields and lanes surrounding our hamlet.
On the subject of Zoom, the DEEP Network asked a friend and I to run a couple of sessions that are purely for fun. Normally our sessions are about how we are looking after people and their carers and coping strategies. Serious stuff. We have been trying to bring the funny side of life to the people that come by entertaining them with quizzes, art projects and all sorts of nonsense. Lots of jokes come into play and a spoof session of making PPE out of ridiculous items such as only the left cup of an old bra [so you don’t look a right tit] and incontinency pads etc. not tasteful, I know, but it has us all laughing. Today it was Dessert Island Discs and everyone came to the meeting in sunhats, glasses and tropical T shirts. Hilarious. Next week someone else is giving gardening tips. Dress code: aprons, gloves, potting tools and garden jokes!!
So that’s how I am coping with lockdown. Probably too well to want my old ‘normal’ life back!!
Written by Frances Isaacs
We are now recruiting for the MSc Advanced Dementia Studies starting in September 2020.
