Hervey Bay dementia choir helping elderly manage their condition and socialise with others
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Source: ABC News (Australia) / Youtube.
Inside an unassuming church hall in Hervey Bay, a group of amateur singers is belting out classics from the likes of John Denver and Gerry and the Pacemakers.
Some voices are in tune. Some are breaking with laughter. Others are singing the wrong song.
But being pitch perfect isn't the goal.
For the Forget Me Not singing group, music is their medicine — the choir is made up of people diagnosed with dementia and their carers.
The Forget Me Not singing group meets twice a week between Hervey Bay and Maryborough. Image source: ABC Wide Bay / Lucy Loram.
The group meets twice a week between Hervey Bay and the nearby heritage city of Maryborough for what founder Julie de Waard describes as a "dementia-friendly" two hours of singing and shaking maracas and tambourines.
"Singing allows you to release endorphins and make you feel good," says Ms de Waard, who is the seniors liaison officer with Fraser Coast Regional Council.
"At the same time, they're opening up their lungs … we're doing things like looking for the page numbers and looking for the songs in the book."
The group allows people with dementia and their carers to regularly socialise with others. Image source: ABC Wide Bay / Lucy Loram.
Every breath between lyric or shake of an instrument is an exercise in combating the debilitating condition.
"It's targeting hand-eye coordination and all of those physical attributes as well as memory," Ms de Waard says.
For John Dineen, who has been managing his frontotemporal dementia diagnosis for 40 years, the singing group is helping his mind and soul.
"I don't sing very well because my breathing is no good, but it doesn't matter. I enjoy it … and the singing helps me socialise."
John Dineen says the singing helps him improve his breathing. Image source: ABC Wide Bay / Lucy Loram.
Regional Queenslanders at risk
Hervey Bay, a fast-growing city three hours north of Brisbane, is a popular destination among retirees.Almost a third of residents on the Fraser Coast are aged over 65, and the Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre projects that figure will reach 35 per cent by 2041.
Yet, locals lament a lack of face-to-face dementia support services.
Julie de Waard founded the singing group. Image source: ABC Wide Bay / Lucy Loram.
"It's very limited … so specific dementia services, we have maybe three or four at tops," Ms de Waard says.
There are more than 85,000 Queenslanders living with dementia, according to Dementia Australia, but people in regional areas face additional barriers to accessing support.
"There are a range of modifiable risk factors … like excess alcohol consumption, high blood pressure and depression … that might come into play more consistently for people living in regional and remote areas who perhaps have less access to services and supports," executive director Kaele Stokes says.
Dr Kaele Stokes says face-to-face support services are critical to managing dementia. Image source: ABC News / Scott Jewell.
Dr Stokes says there is a demand for more social group services like dementia-friendly choirs across the country.
"Certainly face-to-face services and supports can make a real difference, particularly to people who do feel socially isolated in communities that are geographically dispersed," she says.
"It often creates a level of cognitive stimulation that can be a really valuable part."
Singing promotes a rush of endorphins for those with dementia. Image source: ABC Wide Bay / Lucy Loram.
When words fail, the music speaks
Gil and Jeni Jagels' lives were forever altered when Gil was diagnosed with dementia a year ago."He'd been in and out of hospital a couple of times with heart issues," Ms Jagels recalls.
"[Doctors] had to really look at what happened and change medications before he could come home … and he came home a different person.
"[The nurse] just said, 'He has dementia', and I just fell apart."
Jeni Jagels cares for her husband Gil since his dementia diagnosis a year ago. Image source: ABC Wide Bay / Lucy Loram.
What followed was a flurry of information that overwhelmed the pair until Ms Jagels stumbled across the Forget Me Nots.
"The singing group is the only real support we have," she says.
"I've been finding out more information [about support services] through the singing people, they've been a godsend."
Ms Jagels says she has struggled to find resources to assist her husband in Hervey Bay. Image source: ABC Wide Bay / Lucy Loram.
Mr Jagels has become a man of few words, but when his words fail, the music speaks.
"Well, it's something I did as a young … ," he trails off.
"You've always loved singing, haven't you?" Ms Jagels prompts her husband.
"Yes," he replies.
"He might be singing a different song, but what the h*** — he's using his voice and he's belting it out," Ms Jagels says.
Ms Jagels says the singing group has helped her connect with local dementia support services. Image source: ABC Wide Bay / Lucy Loram.
'I just wish there was more'
As the group breaks for morning tea mid-rehearsal, Ms Jagels reflects on how her husband has improved since joining the choir."I don't think he even would have asked for his cup of tea or coffee before, but now he asks for mine too and lets them know what biscuit he wants," she says.
"I think it shows he feels comfortable there, thank God … I just wish there was more [support groups] to get us out of the house to see people."
This story is part of a series exploring how regional Queenslanders are aging well outside the capital city.
Read more: Hundreds of aged care facilities facing COVID-19 outbreaks amid renewed vaccination calls
Written by: Lucy Loram, ABC News.
