“It’s been good – wouldn’t miss these sessions now (huh – I used to think I could manage!)” Husband of person with dementia
We sit in a circle, some of us smiling, some looking a little apprehensive. We introduce ourselves, therapists, artists, carers, but for now just a group of people who will spend the next couple of hours together exploring ways to relax and cope better with the responsibilities we have in our lives.
We are the Harmony Group, a unique collaboration of artists, health professionals and complementary therapists, set up to provide carers with a wide variety of information, activities and techniques to manage the everyday challenges they face in caring for their loved ones, and to remember to take a little time for themselves.
“It’s good to find time for yourself to relax.” Parent of a young person with Asperger’s syndrome.
We start with a weather report – not the weather outside but the way we feel right now – sunny, cloudy, a bit misty….everyone warms to the theme. This helps us to stop and notice how we are feeling – for some of us this is a rare opportunity. Using the metaphor of the weather is a valuable tool for expressing something quite personal in a different and perhaps safer way – one of many ways in which the arts can be very helpful. It also paves the way for the complementary therapies – however we feel is OK, and it’s also OK to take time for ourselves and to seek ways of improving our mood and our wellbeing.
“It stops you forgetting yourself.” Wife of a person with dementia
We sing a hello song which includes all our names. This, too, is an important part of the process. We are not alone – we are part of a group which shares many of the same challenges – and every person in the group is valued.
Then we warm up our bodies to music, each of us taking a turn to lead with a movement. Moving physically has a direct impact on the way we feel. We develop this into a lively dance with coloured scarves. Everyone is smiling and laughing by this time.
“Any type of movement to music is good – it’s something we can do together.” Husband of a person with dementia
We think of ways we like to relax and create our own instant song.
Relax, relax, let’s take it slow
Make yourself comfy, away we go
What can we do to ease our minds?
What can we do to unwind?
Members of the group come up with a range of suggestions from a warm bath with a glass of wine to a walk in the park with the dog – via several racier suggestions which further lighten the mood!
People choose from the array of therapies on offer – Indian head massage, Reiki healing, reflexology, emotional freedom technique, and massage.
“Oh, massage is lovely!” Parent of an adult with learning disabilities
From the feedback received during the pilot, all the therapies proved popular with carers, even the lesser known ones such as Reiki and Indian head massage. Of the creative activities on offer, there was a good spread of positive responses, with music and singing proving the most popular.
“I adore music – it’s therapeutic.” Husband of person with dementia
Some access the information that is available, while others chat amongst themselves, enjoying the chance to talk to others dealing with similar issues.
“These sessions are good for talking and sharing – you can pick up useful information about your rights and what you’re entitled to.” Husband of person with dementia
We found that it was vitally important not to overfill the sessions with activity to enable this kind of informal interaction that people find so valuable. Equally, it’s important to have activities which people can drop in and out of if they wish – especially if the individual therapy has brought up unexpected emotions. For example, a visual arts activity is set up for people to create their own postcard showing a relaxing scene and write a message on the back – later this will be posted to them to remind them of the session. In another session, participants wrote what they liked to do to relax on a roll of beautiful paper showing blue skies and white clouds.
One of the therapists brings a group of us together to teach us how to do a simple hand massage. The atmosphere is calm and friendly.
“It’s good to learn how to do things like this that we can use at home with the people we care for.” Wife of a person who has had a stroke
The professionals discuss other ways in which we might work together in the future – for example, having a masseuse and a dancer working together. We all agree that we need to be flexible and responsive to the needs of each setting. An interesting feature of the pilot was that there was a mix of situations and venues – sometimes carers came together especially for our project, while at other times we were the guests of an established group – both had their merits. In smaller venues there was a feeling that perhaps there should be fewer activities at a time, spread over a number of weeks.
We all come together at the end and check out our weather reports again. Most have improved, and as we look around the circle everyone is visibly more relaxed. We end with a final song – we rework “Oh What A Beautiful Morning” to include all the things we’ve done - before saying our goodbyes.
“Can you come every week?” Wife of person with dementia
HARMONY is a collaboration between darts (Doncaster Community Arts), Doncaster Partnership for Carers, RDASH and SYCIL.