Charity worker reveals tool to help dementia patients engage

A woman from Blackpool has come up with a novel way of helping people with dementia to engage with their carers.

Pam Hill's Activity Box contains items that will hopefully inspire happy memories in older people, helping them to spend some quality time with their carers, the BBC reports.

Ms Hill, who works for Age Concern in her home town, lost her mother after a battle with dementia in November 2009 and came up with the idea for the box while caring for her in her last months.

From her experiences, she knows that time is of the essence and it is important to make the most of any moments free of fear and anxiety.

"Hopefully they'll have a bit of a giggle [with the boxes], something which may be rare with dementia, and [it] prevents the anxiety which can be caused by the condition," Ms Hill told the news provider.

Statistics from the Alzheimer's Research Trust indicate that there are around 820,000 people in the UK living with dementia.

Read more about Barchester's dementia care homes.