May 24 - UEFA Champions League Football Memories Posts

In line with Dementia Awareness Week, we at Ostrich want to help to get as many people as possible talking about Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In order to raise awareness for this illness, we are discussing how football, and in particular, the UEFA Champions League can help trigger lost memories. Loss of memory in Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease patients is one of the most heart-breaking symptoms and proves to be very distressing for suffers, as well as for families and friends, who try all kinds of methods to interact with their loved ones. It is known that sufferers of the disease, in particular men who are widowed or divorced find it the hardest to interact and ultimately, the illness knocks an individual’s confidence and causes social, mental and physical decline.

Football in the UK is an integral part of society. For millions of people, especially men, it is a regular part of daily life; the banter in work on a Monday morning, the thrilling atmosphere at a live game in the stadium or watching your favourite team at your local pub or at home with friends. These wonderful memories get locked in people’s memories, however this devastating mental illness makes it difficult for sufferers to recall such treasured recollections.

Golden Moments: triggering memories

The UEFA Champions league is the ultimate trophy for elite clubs in European football and has given football fans countless nights of thrilling football action, an array of wonderful goals, exceptionally talented players, missed penalties and last minute drama. The inspirational Champions League theme music before a match makes hairs stand up on your neck. From Manchester United coming back from a goal down in the last two minutes to defeat Bayern Munich in 1999 to Liverpool winning on penalties after trailing 3-0 at half-time against Italian giants AC Milan in 2005, these epic nights stick in the memory for passionate football fans. The iconic Zinedine Zidane, one of the greatest ever players in history scored one of the best goals ever seen in a football match in the UEFA Champions League final 2002 at Hampden Park, in Glasgow. There are hundreds of golden football moments which the UEFA Champions League has brought us and we truly believe that these can help trigger some of those lost memories in dementia sufferers.

Working Methods

Reminiscence methods such as showing photos and videos of great players, goals and UEFA Champions League matches can give sufferers more confidence to interact in care homes and social groups and also give hope to families and loved ones, who are also greatly affected by Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

There has been evidence found that these methods do help patients recall past football memories. An experiment was started in 2009 when Falkirk FC club historian Michael White came up with the idea of showing photos of football players from the past to patients with Dementia in a care home. Known as the Football Reminiscence Project, it was started in optimism rather than in expectation. However, through positive results of achieving interaction with patients, the word began to spread and more people took interest in the idea of using football as a reminiscence method. Eventually, the word spread throughout the country, and more organisations began to form, such as Sporting Memories Network, which also focuses on other past sporting events. Everton Football Club have also showed their support to tackle Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and have launched the Pass On The Memories programme. This programme allows Dementia sufferers, carers and family members to meet weekly to reminisce about past football events, players and other sporting memories.

Get involved

Although the football season is almost over, the discussions will still go on between committed football fans this summer. Tomorrow, German teams Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will be battling it out for the ultimate crown in the UEFA Champions League Final 2013 at Wembley Stadium. We are sure to see more quality action, fantastic players, and hopefully some great goals which will live long in the memory for millions of viewers.

Will you be watching the final? What are your favourite memories from the UEFA Champions League? Who is your favourite team or player? Your favourite goal?

Join the conversation on Twitter, #TalkDementia and #OstrichUK to see what others are discussing about Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.