Singing their little hearts out

KATINA CURTIS

CHILDREN in the Shellharbour/Kiama family day care scheme entertained dementia patients with songs, nursery rhymes and stories on Tuesday last week.

This was the children’s second visit to the Carunya Dementia Day Therapy Clinic in Warilla.

Diversional therapist Michelle McAuley said the two groups hoped to make the visits an ongoing activity.

“The people with dementia get so much from a children’s visit,” she said.

“For a lot of them it brings back reminiscences, if they’re mothers, of their own children and grandchildren.”

Vanessa Johnson from the family day care scheme said the children, all aged under 5, got just as much out of the visit as the patients at the facility.

“In an area where a lot of families don’t have access to grandparent figures, it’s a nice thing to do,” she said.

“And children have no pretences; they’re quite accepting and don’t mind if someone’s losing their marbles, as it were.”

Ms McAuley said the dementia patients visited the Carunya centre for four hours at a time where they get opportunities for socialisation and enjoyments, and the youngsters’ visit added an extra dimension to that.

“It’s just the simple joy children bring from their singing and just talking to them,” she said.

Ms Johnson said the day care scheme was a stand-alone community organisation with carers who looked after up to five children aged under 5 years.

The carers who joined in the Carunya visit had spent time teaching their young charges a range of nursery rhymes and songs to perform.

“We picked nursery rhymes this time because hopefully the older ladies will relate to them, too,” she said.

Ms Johnson added that the organisation was always looking for new carers and anyone interested in having a go at this fulfilling role should contact the family day care office on 4256 2078 between 9am and 3pm on weekdays.