Your comments: 20 June 2018

Further to your report about Dementia Action Week (Frontline 6 June), I would like to share an event we held for older people at St George’s Hospital in Morpeth.

 

We turned Woodhorn ward into a ‘pub’, The Woodhorn Arms, complete with ‘beer tokens’ and snacks. The purpose was to allow the patients and their families to enjoy a sociable afternoon engaging through music, hopefully bringing back treasured memories. 

 

All families were sent invitations, hand-made by the patients. Local singer Chris Millet entertained us with old time hits, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed. Dementia UK kindly sent posters and balloons.

 

Music, movement and touch can key into a memory. By encouraging singing and dancing we turned the afternoon into activity which helps maintain range of movement, balance and coordination. 

 

Participation in a sitting position, just a tapping of feet, can shift mood and provide positive interaction. The social component gave emotional and physical closeness achieving positive effects afterwards. The event was a huge success thanks to all of the enthusiastic staff. And, most importantly, the patients and families had a fantastic time. Cheers! 

 

Most of the time I love reading Frontline to see what is going on in the world of physiotherapy. But I object to the tabloid style of News in Pictures. Since when do we as a profession promote or give airtime to things said on the BBC, in the Telegraph or the Daily Mail? I was particularly interested in the number three on this day (Frontline 6 June). Looking at the link, it appears that this is a quote from one expert. This is not science and the opinion of one person does not make a balanced view. 

 

 

We appreciate that members value robust research. But we are keen to engage those of you who, perhaps because of dyslexia, find picture-led stories a good route to expert findings. If a report cites particular research, this is because it is new information rather than a comparison of research findings.  

May I suggest this recent publication to Frontline, bit.ly/2JNXaNv. It is a clinically relevant correction, as it amends a mistake in a systematic review and meta-analysis, which is generally regarded as highest level evidence; and it reverses the resulting recommendations for clinical practice. It is also interesting from an academic point of view, because it demonstrates research integrity and good research practice in openly admitting and correcting a mistake. 

 

I declare that our group has been involved in pointing out the mistake, and that my own primary publication is included in this systematic review.