Support resources during the Covid-19 pandemic
Whilst things have improved since the original outbreak of Covid-19, there are some useful resources which were developed during the pandemic that people may find interesting.
News from Alzheimer's Society
Covid-19 Alzheimer’s Society web page
Living with dementia while staying at home, for weeks and months, during the pandemic has been very difficult. The Alzheimer's Society has lots of useful information about Covid-19 and dementia here. There are some ideas on how to help a person with dementia stay safe and well on this web page.
Alzheimer’s Society local Dementia Support Worker service
The local Alzheimer’s Society office is offering a weekly telephone call from a Dementia Support Worker, even if only a small bit of guidance or advice is needed. You can contact 01274 586008, or email [email protected] (preferred option).
The Alzheimer's Society held a Singing for the Brain Session live. It is a fun activity that can help people affected by dementia. You can watch the video here.
Living with dementia while staying at home, for weeks and months, during the pandemic has been very difficult. The Alzheimer's Society has lots of useful information about Covid-19 and dementia here. There are some ideas on how to help a person with dementia stay safe and well on this web page.
Alzheimer’s Society local Dementia Support Worker service
The local Alzheimer’s Society office is offering a weekly telephone call from a Dementia Support Worker, even if only a small bit of guidance or advice is needed. You can contact 01274 586008, or email [email protected] (preferred option).
The Alzheimer's Society held a Singing for the Brain Session live. It is a fun activity that can help people affected by dementia. You can watch the video here.
Other useful links
For Bradford Council advice and information on service changes, you can sign up to receive regular email updates. This link includes the latest information, as well as sign up details for the email updates.
If you are in need of urgent help or support, you can call Bradford Council on 01274 431000 and select option 1. A dedicated service to provide help to the most vulnerable people during the recent emergency has been set up by People Can – an initiative which is co-ordinated by Bradford Council and the Voluntary and Community Sector. This includes help with shopping.
Bradford Libraries have a large selection of E-Audiobooks, E-Books, E-Magazines and E-Newspapers that can be borrowed for free with your library card. All libraries are open for customer browsing and use of computers. If you are not already a member, you can join in person at your local library, or join online and then have access to their online services. You can find out more about the latest library information here.
Dementia UK also has useful information on caring for people with dementia, especially during coronavirus. Find out more at the Dementia UK website.
The World Health Organization (WHO) advice for adults dealing with stress can be found here.
This Anxiety UK blog also offers advice for people with anxiety disorders. Some of the support that they offer is for members only but there is still lots of useful information on the website.
Carers’ Resource provides support for carers, including help applying for benefits, support planning and guidance through the health and social care systems. You can contact the Bradford office (Shipley) on 01274 449660.
Carers UK also has information here on looking after your health during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Silver Line is a confidential, free helpline offering friendship and advice to older people. It’s open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. Telephone 0800 470 8090.
If you are in need of urgent help or support, you can call Bradford Council on 01274 431000 and select option 1. A dedicated service to provide help to the most vulnerable people during the recent emergency has been set up by People Can – an initiative which is co-ordinated by Bradford Council and the Voluntary and Community Sector. This includes help with shopping.
Bradford Libraries have a large selection of E-Audiobooks, E-Books, E-Magazines and E-Newspapers that can be borrowed for free with your library card. All libraries are open for customer browsing and use of computers. If you are not already a member, you can join in person at your local library, or join online and then have access to their online services. You can find out more about the latest library information here.
Dementia UK also has useful information on caring for people with dementia, especially during coronavirus. Find out more at the Dementia UK website.
The World Health Organization (WHO) advice for adults dealing with stress can be found here.
This Anxiety UK blog also offers advice for people with anxiety disorders. Some of the support that they offer is for members only but there is still lots of useful information on the website.
Carers’ Resource provides support for carers, including help applying for benefits, support planning and guidance through the health and social care systems. You can contact the Bradford office (Shipley) on 01274 449660.
Carers UK also has information here on looking after your health during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Silver Line is a confidential, free helpline offering friendship and advice to older people. It’s open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. Telephone 0800 470 8090.
Other activity ideas
In addition to the Alzheimer's Society activity ideas we mentioned above, here are some other suggestions.
Do you remember these? Have a look at this nostalgic video.
Spectacular Virtual Train Rides. Why not take a scenic train ride from the comfort of your armchair? Take a look at these fantastic videos.
Love to Move Programme. If you can't get out at the moment, why not try some seated exercise?
Songs from classic musicals. The Bradford Council website has a performance of songs from classic musicals of the 1940s and 1950s. It brings together a number of local Bradford artists to create something magical from their home to yours. Watch the video here.
Playlist for Life. Music brings people together and the potential benefits are well documented, even singing down the phone! If you haven’t already considered this, maybe now is a good time to check out Playlist for Life and start preparing one for your loved one. This charity was founded by Sally Magnusson in 2013 after the death of her mother who had dementia. The idea is that everyone with dementia has a unique, personal playlist and everyone who loves or cares for them knows how to use it. Research shows that listening to a personal playlist can make living with dementia easier and happier. There is lots of really good guidance here www.playlistforlife.org.uk.
“Visit” a Museum.
Many museums are offering online tours of their collections. Some of them are listed below, simply click on the link.
Games night.
Dust off Monopoly, Scrabble or Obama Llama (highly recommended), or try one of the ‘no equipment needed’ games below by clicking on the link!
Poker Night.
Grab a pack of cards and start a game of poker! Have a look for pennies, matches or pieces of pasta you can use as chips. Make sure you agree on the rules before you begin!
Have a Virtual Dinner Party with Friends!
Set a time and date, you could even agree to cook the same meal! Whatsapp, Facetime, Skype, Google Hangouts, Zoom and House Party are all great video conferencing tools you can use to do this.
Activities to purchase for people with dementia. There are a range of activities you can purchase, such as jigsaws, aquapainting, etc. Find out more at Active Minds.
(Updated October 2023)
Do you remember these? Have a look at this nostalgic video.
Spectacular Virtual Train Rides. Why not take a scenic train ride from the comfort of your armchair? Take a look at these fantastic videos.
Love to Move Programme. If you can't get out at the moment, why not try some seated exercise?
Songs from classic musicals. The Bradford Council website has a performance of songs from classic musicals of the 1940s and 1950s. It brings together a number of local Bradford artists to create something magical from their home to yours. Watch the video here.
Playlist for Life. Music brings people together and the potential benefits are well documented, even singing down the phone! If you haven’t already considered this, maybe now is a good time to check out Playlist for Life and start preparing one for your loved one. This charity was founded by Sally Magnusson in 2013 after the death of her mother who had dementia. The idea is that everyone with dementia has a unique, personal playlist and everyone who loves or cares for them knows how to use it. Research shows that listening to a personal playlist can make living with dementia easier and happier. There is lots of really good guidance here www.playlistforlife.org.uk.
“Visit” a Museum.
Many museums are offering online tours of their collections. Some of them are listed below, simply click on the link.
- The five museums in the Science Museum Group have developed an "Explore Our Museums from Home" tour. They’ve highlighted how you can virtually interact with the collection and their museums in a new blog post which you can read here. You can find out about their collection here.
- The Louvre
- The Vatican
- Russia’s Hermitage Museum
- Ellis Island
- The British Museum
- The Natural History Museum
Games night.
Dust off Monopoly, Scrabble or Obama Llama (highly recommended), or try one of the ‘no equipment needed’ games below by clicking on the link!
Poker Night.
Grab a pack of cards and start a game of poker! Have a look for pennies, matches or pieces of pasta you can use as chips. Make sure you agree on the rules before you begin!
Have a Virtual Dinner Party with Friends!
Set a time and date, you could even agree to cook the same meal! Whatsapp, Facetime, Skype, Google Hangouts, Zoom and House Party are all great video conferencing tools you can use to do this.
Activities to purchase for people with dementia. There are a range of activities you can purchase, such as jigsaws, aquapainting, etc. Find out more at Active Minds.
(Updated October 2023)