Engaging Dementia began as Sonas apc in 1990. It grew out of my experience as a teenager living at home in the 1950s and visiting older people in longstay care. I was disturbed by the lack of stimulation and interaction which I observed. This stayed with me but it was many years before I had the opportunity to do something about it.
When I finished school I entered in Milltown in 1956. After Profession I trained as a Speech Therapist in London in the 1960s and in due course, while living in Ballybane I became interested in the area of cognitive impairment and communication. Using lateral thinking I could see that the approach I was using in Galway could be adapted for older people living in Day Care, in nursing homes or housebound. This gave rise to the Sonas Programme which is now 35 years in use.
Sonas, an Irish word meaning wellbeing, joy and contentment takes the form of either a 45 minute group for 8 participants or an individual session. It was an idea which I tried out experimentally, based on the senses, sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell; it involves structure and repetition and for the group leader, quality interaction with emphasis on non verbal communication, facial expression, tone of voice and body language in order to activate potential for communication and to convey love and respect for each individual in the group. It addresses communication needs in older people in care but is particularly suitable and effective for people living with later stages of Dementia,
The Sonas Programme was met with enthusiasm by nursing home residents and staff and was then piloted and prepared to be shared more widely. Three Training Workshops for staff and associates were held in Dublin in 1991. It was welcomed in nursing homes throughout Ireland and further training workshops were held in Ireland, North and South, England, Scotland and the Channel Islands and the Sonas programme is now translated into Norwegian with regular training of nursing home staff there.
What began as Sonas apc in 1990 became Engaging Dementia in 2018 to reflect the addition of a growing range of other already established training courses related to dementia and communication. The rebranded Company became responsible for the Dementia Cafe Network in Ireland.
I will end by telling you about an elderly man who attended a Sonas group in Scotland. He spoke to the staff who led the group and said “I hope I speak for the others in the group when I say that the feeling I had after the group was a feeling of overwhelming love”. May this continue to be so wherever Sonas is available.
