Forget Me Nots

Frank and Judy Solomon are warriors, educator warriors, who have a knack for spotting a gap and creating a solution to fit.

Trained teachers, they spent 25 years in mainstream education before identifying how the existing system simply didn’t work for certain people.

Their solution: the creation of ‘Solomon Group’ in 2000, a Private Training Establishment that gives adults who have dropped out of traditional education a second chance to learn and develop skills plus the space to expand their horizons.

Fast forward 16 years and Solomon Group was sold to new owners, but Judy and Frank remained connected, providing helpful expansion and development advice during an extended handover.

Judy says, “We had valuable community contacts that were a key part of the programme, and we were passionate about helping embed those relationships with the new owners.”

In 2023, both Frank and Judy were awarded a King’s Service Medal for services to Education and the Community. But a life passion is a driving force, so it didn’t stop there.

Now as residents at Fairway Gardens, they’ve set up ‘Forget-Me-Nots,’ a weekly group session designed for a community of people who are on the dementia journey.

Frank was diagnosed with dementia in 2018. With the creation and launch of this resident-led programme, Judy and Frank have woven decades of experience and skill together with their own personal journey.

The group is for Elders with mild cognitive impairment and Carers who are living with an Elder who has dementia and follows a familiar structure each week. The safe, cosy environment that’s generated builds trust, and participation activities are based on markers from research that shows the benefits they elicit in those on the dementia journey, directly or indirectly.

It’s two hours of easy conversation, music, singing, gentle upper body movement, playful fun, and most importantly: sharing stories with compassionate listening and unconditional support. The group separates into two at halfway through the session and while the Elders do ‘brain training,’ the Carers gather together for open communication. The underlying message is the challenges we each may be dealing with are varied, but together we can be a valuable source of support to each other.

A problem shared is a problem halved! Simply having access to the right information at the right time is hugely enabling for carers and those living with dementia (mate wareware).

It’s early days but the Fairway Gardens Forget-Me-Nots group is already proving a real hit, with 20 people regularly attending the Monday morning sessions.

Independent living residents Robyn and Eric Brown have been participants since the group first began. “It’s a wonderful initiative! Frank and Judy are so experienced. As a partner and carer, I felt like I was not dealing with this alone and left the meeting feeling like I was walking on air,” says Robyn.

Eric adds “there’s always singalongs, the sharing of stories, and everyone participates. I get a lot out of it!”

Judy offers some helpful advice, “the best way forward is to have a diagnosis as early as possible, so that you can change your lifestyle and create a happy, purposeful journey, based on the new knowledge. There are definite things you can do that will make a huge difference to both the life of both the person living with dementia and equally as important, the well-being of the carer.

“We now know that we can develop new pathways in the brain throughout life and develop new brain cells right up until we die. Cognitive stimulation using various exercises and activities that we include in the Forget Me Not programme may well make a big difference in your life and wellbeing. This phrase does hold true: use it or lose it!”