


✅ Purpose and ethos
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The blog is authored by Simon O’Donovan MBE, a retired consultant nurse in dementia care (NHS Wales) who created the site as a free, open-access resource for people living with mild to moderate dementia, their carers, and CST group & activities facilitators.
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It supports the use of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST), which is recommended by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a non-pharmacological intervention to promote cognition, wellbeing and social engagement.
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The ethos emphasises person-centred, engaging, enjoyable and socially connecting activities (quizzes, creative tasks, reminiscence games) rather than purely clinical or dry exercises.
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It is not commercial: the site is described as a personal, unpaid commitment, and it invites donations (via Ko-fi) to cover hosting and upkeep.
🧩 Key features & structure
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Extensive activity library: One standout is the volume of themed activity pages (the blog states “over 350 themed activity pages” covering quizzes, reminiscence, creative tasks etc).
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Person-centred tools: The site offers templates such as “Snapshot Assessment” and “Getting to Know Me” to help tailor activities to individual interests and abilities.
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Educational and linked resources: It links out to other learning resources (for example, UCL’s 'The Many Faces of Dementia') and provides a “Creative Arts Gallery” showcasing artwork by people with dementia.
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Accessibility and digital outreach: In addition to blog pages, there is a YouTube channel (CST vlogs) aimed at people living with dementia at home who may not be able to attend group sessions.
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Navigation & content structure: The homepage shows menu items like “Home”, “Contents”, “Creative Arts Gallery”, “About CST”, “Person centred assessment”, “Feedback”, “Resources”, “More”. This suggests clear segmentation of content.
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Recognition & listing: The blog is listed on directories such as 'Infoengine' (Welsh voluntary/community services) and appears as a recommended resource within the dementia‐support landscape infoengine.cymru
🎯 Strengths / Why it stands out
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High volume of targeted, themed resources ready for facilitators and carers, which fits very well with any interest in building structured libraries of CST activity guides.
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Free and open access: removes financial barrier for groups, individuals, and carers.
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Practitioner-led: The author’s background suggests professional credibility (dementia nursing).
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Bridges different settings: Useful for both face-to-face groups (care homes, day centres) and home-based users via the YouTube vlogs.
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Seasonal and culturally relevant themes: The activity examples show current themes (Halloween, Movember, 1960s singalongs, local statues in Cardiff & Vale) which helps keep sessions engaging.
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Strong visual/creative dimension: The inclusion of a Creative Arts Gallery and emphasis on creative expression helps diversify from purely cognitive quizzes, aligning with humanistic care approaches.
⚠️ Considerations / Areas to note
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While the site is rich in resources, you may want to check the ease of navigation for your particular context - since large libraries can become overwhelming if search/filtering functions are limited.
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Ensure that any activity is adapted for your specific group (their interests, abilities, cultural context). Although many are themed, tailoring may still be required.
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Depending on your setting (e.g., UK vs. other countries), some themes may need localising (dates, cultural references, spelling, regional relevance).
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As the site is donation-funded and non-commercial, there may be limitations in how frequently updates are made or technical support is provided - always check when the last update was, and whether technology (YouTube videos, downloadable templates) remains compatible with your devices.
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Where you use external images or content for your CST sessions, ensure you meet copyright/fair-use criteria (the author already addresses this in his “some images are copied from public domain under fair use for educational purposes” note). Also, most new activities use imagery generated using ChatGPT.

Don't forget to submit your group's artwork to the 'Creative Arts Gallery' - simondementia@gmail.com








































