Toddlers to Help People with Dementia Restore Memories

Seniors at a day-care center in the city of Conwy in Wales are engaging with toddlers as part of an experiment to see if such interaction can help restore memories in people with dementia, reports BBC News . The experiment is being conducted by scientists at Bangor University, who have organized cake-making, singing, and exercise as part of the group activities. "What we want to do is to change the environment, so that they can engage, they can interact without failure," says Bangor University Professor Bob Woods. "And in that way we can draw on the rich vein of expertise and experience and knowledge that's still there." Interaction and friendships are not easy for all of the participants. Woods notes the research is ongoing, but that the children have made a real difference. "They've given us all a new perspective, a new view on dementia," he says. "It's really important to see the person behind the diagnosis."