"Dementia is like a bookcase - your newest memories would be on the top and then sometimes memories fall out."
Katie from Riverdale Primary School near Lisburn has been getting lessons from some very special teachers.
Along with other pupils from the school, the 11-year-old has been learning about dementia from older people living with the disease.
The Riverdale pupils have been getting to know residents from St Paul's Court - a supported living home run by Praxis Care for people with mild dementia.
The pensioners from the home have also visited the primary school.
Blog.DiwidaNews NI joined Katie and other Riverdale students when they revisited St Paul's Court.
During their time there, the students learned about traditional street games such as marbles and hopscotch that were enjoyed by previous generations during their childhood.
They've also received instruction on what dementia entails and how it feels to experience living with it.
What is dementia?
According to the NHS, dementia is characterized as a condition involving a continuous deterioration of cognitive functions in the brain.
Several distinct factors can lead to dementia, and there are various forms of the condition as well.
However, certain typical signs might involve memory lapses, challenges with speech, or problems performing routine tasks.
Consequently, individuals suffering from dementia might find social settings challenging and could become less interested in interacting socially.
The symptoms may intensify with time.
All the inhabitants of St Paul's Court suffer from mild dementia or cognitive impairment.
What did the students learn regarding dementia?
"Memory loss and the illness affect everyday living," Katie stated.
Dementia is akin to a bookshelf where recent memories are placed at the top, and occasionally these memories can slip away.
However, students and locals have connected through reminiscences of childhood, despite their experiences often being quite distinct from one another.
Ten-year-old Grace mentioned that they have been talking about what their elementary school experience was like and learning more about each other, including favorite foods and colors.
The children have learned about life with dementia through their friendships.
"When it impacts you, you typically don’t forget much from your childhood, but occasionally you might overlook recent events," explained Kirsten, who is also 11 years old.
Grace mentioned that she had learned how to assist individuals with dementia and emphasized the importance of being patient.
She mentioned, 'They might just require a little more time to recall things.'
As per Riverdale’s vice-principal Laura Totton, studying dementia means understanding both life and the nearby neighborhood.
"What children might experience in the future through interactions with their extended family underscores the importance of educating them and involving the broader community to understand our work at school," she stated.
I believe it's crucial for children to grasp that these residents were once their age too, allowing them to connect with them better.
What are the sentiments of the residents regarding their connection with the main elementary school students?
Maisie and Sadie both live at St Paul's Court.
They have loved interacting with the children and looking back at their own youthful days.
Maisie mentioned her passion for music and singing, which she decided to pursue alongside an interest in netball.
She has become friends with several of the students.
She mentioned, 'There were three or four of them perched on the chair next to me, and it was delightful.'
The folks are wonderful, and so are the children.
"She lifted me up," Sadie stated.
You're dwelling on how you once were and everything associated with that.
I am excited about their arrival.
But Sadie admitted that playing boccia - which is a form of bowls - with the children had brought out her competitive side.
"I may not be great at them yet, but I am improving slightly," she chuckled.
A curse word slips out sometimes!
What methods can be used to educate young kids about dementia?
Riverdale Primary School brought Tracy Smyth from Praxis Care to the institution to educate students about dementia prior to their connection with residents at St Paul's Court.
She mentioned that instructing the students required a method that was both delicate and suited to their ages.
Mrs. Smyth employed a method from the Alzheimer's Society that instructed the children on becoming "Dementia Friends."
"A disease of the brain, just like any other illness," she stated.
"When it's broken down into those terms and how it affects somebody the children really took all the information on board."
"I believe it takes away that anxiety and almost fear some children might have - because we fear what we don't know."
And for her there is personal as well as professional motivation.
"My grandmother had dementia and as a younger child not understanding why I was seeing changes in my grandmother who I just loved," she said.
"The only conclusion I could come to as a child was that it was me, that I had done something wrong."
"And I vowed that no child should have that misconception or think that of their grandparents."
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