News

Using Quizzes to support a wide audience

During Dementia Action Week, we’re putting a focus on how Sporting Memories can help support those living with dementia to lead fulfilling lives, with the aid of our regular sessions.  

In this feature, we find out how through a recent placement by Caitlin, an Occupational Therapy student from Glasgow Caledonian University, worked on a series of quizzes to help our members engage with Sporting Memories. 

A Question of Sport, once the must watch BBC quiz show for sports and general knowledge fans, with stars and legends from the world of sport taking part each week, team captains with a massive sense of humour and a quizmaster able to keep the personalities in check - it was an institution loved by many. Just play the theme music and most of our members will be able to recall their favourite moments instantly. 

Weekly quizzes do form a cornerstone of many of our clubs and they are eagerly anticipated and keenly contested. It certainly tests the skills of the club quizmasters to keep coming up with new questions.  

Memories, chat and friendship

Quizzes are a brilliant way of encouraging memories, chat and friendship, but how can a club like Sporting Memories with members of varying abilities and limitations ensure inclusivity? Our latest Occupational Therapy placement student from Glasgow Caledonian University, Caitlin Doyle showed us how. 

Caitlin spent several months with us helping at our Calderwood, Westwood and Mearns clubs and was in the words of our area Club Coordinator, Yvonne Freil, “A delight to have, she was excellent and was really interested in what we do, particularly the benefits it has to our members physically, cognitively and their general well-being.” 

Caitlin developed a style of quiz for the groups which was totally adaptable for each group as no two groups are the same, each with different needs and personalities, including for those living with dementia.? 

The quizzes were pictorial based of different sports personalities when they were older and members had to guess who they were.  Once guessed correctly, a picture of the personality in their prime was shown. Time was then allowed for a chat about the sports star which rarely needed any prompting. 

Staying on the pictorial theme and with probably the most favourite of sports of all our members, football, she used pictures of old football strips with the club badge removed. Once a correct guess was made, the current strip with shown with all the ensuing chat about days gone by.  

Bearing in mind the differing needs of groups and members at one of the clubs, particularly those living with dementia who attend our sessions, the quizzes were done on a one-to-one basis with fellow members helping out when a member was stuck.  

Sometimes the traditional two opposing teams was the best approach, but no matter what methodology Caitlin used the quizzes were a huge success and proved yet again that a picture speaks a thousand words. 

Try this at home

If you want to try something like this at home with a loved one who perhaps can’t make it along to their local club, our Replay Cards can be purchased direct from our website here for a wide range of sporting interest. We also have a really useful video on One-to-One Reminiscence which provides information, advice and guidance on using sport and other prompts to engage in conversation and stimulate positive memories.