Dementia Club UK has donated to the Finchley Memorial Hospital a very special piece of equipment called ‘Tovertafel’ and this was celebrated in a launch event at the hospital on Saturday 24th March.
The Finchley Memorial Hospital is the first hospital in London to have this equipment. Tovertafel is a Dutch product and in English means ‘Magic Table’. It is a type of projector which is installed in the ceiling and games are projected onto a table which people can interact with their hands. The games are light simulations of familiar activities such as gardening, fishing and popping balloons to trigger a sense of reminiscence among players, encouraging both individual and group play. The equipment not only helps those people who have medium to more progressed dementia but is also helpful to adults and children with learning difficulties and also autism. It was great to see how people with dementia were stimulated and motivated to play. It brought many smiles and laughter and also some competitiveness.
The carers were also overjoyed to see their loved ones so happy and involved. The Tovertafel is great family interaction.
The launch was very successful with many people attending. We had members from Dementia Club UK, children from Brunswick Park School with their Headteacher Andy Griffiths and some of our special guests were Rotarians from various Rotary Clubs including David Palmer Rotary District London Governor 2014/2015, Dr Jonathan Lubin Barnet CCG GP Representative, Richard Healy Chief Executive from Barnet Community Transport and David Morris from Alzheimer’s society.
Mehdi Bedioui – sole distributor of Torvetafel UK gave a talk about the product and a demonstration. Everyone was so excited to try out the various games. Adults suffering with Dementia with their families were gathered around the table eager to play. There was great interaction and lots of excitement.
One of the carer’s – Mrs Marina Timotheou said;
“It was so nice to see my husband join in the games and competing with the other players and children. I am so grateful to Lisa who always gives us something to look forward to. It makes my life so much easier to have somewhere to go.”
Cllr. Lisa Rutter, the Councillor for Brunswick Park Ward and Founder and Chairman of Dementia Club UK said:
“I am delighted on behalf of all the Trustees of Dementia Club UK to be able to donate this fantastic piece of equipment to the hospital as I feel that this will benefit the most people in the local community. My mother has progressed Alzheimer’s disease and I know the difficulties and challenges carers and families are faced with daily. The feedback received from members attending Dementia Club UK is that I have given them a lifeline. We now have 7 dementia clubs in the Borough of Barnet for people to attend. Providing this extra piece of equipment to the hospital would be an added bonus to giving more pleasure. Whilst there is no cure for dementia, Dementia Club UK will continue to help as many people as possible living with dementia and their carers and families to have a better quality of life and above all to give them hope.”
