Digital: Service Transformation

How has digital helped to continue support people living with dementia and their carers?

Alzheimer Scotland has developed many new ideas to keep contact with the people they work with, including weekly digital quizzes hosted by volunteers involving people with dementia, family members and carers. We captured a few choice moments from a recent session with volunteer Ellen, Jim, who has been diagnosed with dementia for about 4 years, and Eugene – caring for his wife Roseanna.  Both previously attended face to face events, however due to Covid-19, Alzheimer staff had to find alternative methods of support. Over the last 8 months the online group have become friends. Most of their time is spent laughing and joking with each other and staff say watching this natural friendship grow has been priceless. Furthermore, neither like to lose, so the competition is stiff and keeps the game very lively indeed!

The second story shows a few moments from a Weekly Carer Conversation. These provide an opportunity for carers to come together to speak to other family members offering advice, information and support to each other. Ian cares for his wife Anne; Eugene cares for his wife Roseanna; and new to the group is Pat, who cares for her husband Jim. The group have built a trusting connection and look to each other for that much needed peer and emotional support. As well as the formal support, the weekly digital video call offers a chance to escape the caring role for an hour. The group chat and laugh together and have built up a lovely friendship. These calls have been some of the funniest over the past 8 months, thanks to the great sense of humour and the love of going off on a tangent or two….There is no doom or gloom on these Friday calls and they really set people up for the weekend!

Quarriers Resilience for Wellbeing Project

Watch our latest video below to learn more about how one small mental wellbeing project in the Scottish Borders went digital in a matter of days at the start of the lockdown.

When COVID-19 forced Scotland into lockdown, vital services such as the Quarriers Resilience for Wellbeing Project, based in schools and working to support young people’s mental wellbeing, had to rethink how they could deliver a formerly face-to-face service. Over a short period of time, Quarriers were able to transform their project and run it virtually for the duration of the lockdown. This switch also allowed practitioners to prioritise their own mental wellbeing during such unprecedented times.