Residents at HC-One Scotland’s Darnley Court Care Home, in Glasgow, were treated to a movie night when a movie themed pop-up restaurant was set up for them.
The power of film can provide significant benefits for individuals living with dementia, helping them feel calmer and more comfortable in their surroundings. Films, music, art, and other creative activities can aid in reminiscence therapy, which encourages recalling past memories and emotions.
As dementia progresses, individuals may demonstrate more challenging behaviours that can become disruptive throughout the home. Providing stimuli like films that trigger memories from earlier in life can help reduce anxiety, calm the individual, and prevent frustration or anger.
Darnley Court Specialist Dementia Care Community’s (SDCC) Cinema Room is a life station that can provide the opportunity for residents to relax and be occupied. For movie lovers, the Cinema Room adds to the home’s atmosphere, as well as supporting the orientation of residents.
The Searchers was the movie of choice for the male residents at Darnley Court, while The Calendar Girls was the favoured choice for the female residents. The residents were delighted with the special gathering and warmly praised the delicious meals.
Residents enjoyed their movies, reminiscing and engaging in conversation with each other about their favourite scenes and characters. It was truly a wonderful experience for the residents to have a day like this and to be able to enjoy a unique meal with beloved classic films.
Nostalgia can provide a powerful role in the lives of people with dementia through unlocking memories and reconnecting with their personalities. As dementia progresses, individuals may lose their ability to communicate in traditional ways which makes it difficult for carers to understand their needs and the things around them that create distress.
For people living with dementia, the presence of nostalgic activities can bring back emotions and memories that are ingrained. This connection can enhance their wellbeing, reduce feelings of confusion or isolation.
Darnley Court colleagues were pleased to offer a special event like this for their residents, giving them a chance to take a break from their daily routines and experience something new and exciting. Delicious hotdogs, fried onions and hamburgers were provided with a selection of sauces.
There were also nachos and dips for all residents and colleagues to enjoy. To top it all off, chocolate bars and marshmallows were on offer as a sweet treat along with a selection of wine, beer, and soft drinks to enjoy.
Laura McCormack, HC-One Scotland’s Darnley Court Wellbeing Practitioner, stated:
“Darnley Court’s movie night was a heartfelt way to celebrate our residents’ shared love for classic cinema. Seeing their faces glow with nostalgia and hearing their unique perspectives on the films reminded us how powerful these moments of joy can be.”
The Specialist Dementia Care Community at Darnley Court is a unique model of dementia care that is person-centred, evidence-based and solution focused. Utilising unique techniques such as implementing assistant psychologists directly into the home to understand the needs, triggers and behaviours being displayed by those demonstrating the most complex need for dementia care.
As the only model of its kind in Scotland, HC-One believes that it’s unique approach to Dementia care can soon be replicated across the nation and provide excellent specialist care to Scotland’s growing dementia population.
For more information on HC-One’s dementia provision, visit
Dementia Care at HC-One.