Help Point materials
Below you will find information to help you run your Help Point along with ideas on ways you can incorporate Playlist for Life into your service and activities.
If you have a question that isn’t answered here please get in touch communities@playlistforlife.org.uk.
Your Help Point Pack
When you sign up to become a Help Point, you will receive printed copies of the following materials:
Ordering more materials
You can order a top-up pack of the printed resources via the link in your monthly newsletter. If you do not receive the Help Point newsletter, please get in touch with our communications team.
Online materials
Digital versions of all the materials in your Help Point pack, plus many more handy guides on creating playlists are available on our Resources page. These are available to all, so please do share with your community.
Training – Introduction to sharing personal music in your community
Take our short eLearning course for Help Points!
There’s no right or wrong way to run a Playlist for Life Help Point. Every one is different because every community is different. There are so many ways you can help families living with dementia!
For Help Point Leaders who want to train their staff and volunteer team in a group setting, you can use our Group Training for Help Point Teams presentation. We recommend that the leader works through the above eLearning before using this presentation.
Activity ideas
You can share our resources and raise awareness of Playlist for Life and personalised playlists by finding ways to incorporate our materials into your existing services and activities. Below are some resources to help you:
Presentation: Dementia friendly introduction
Aimed at people living with dementia, this presentation gives an introduction to the power of playlists
Activities guide
Ideas for music-based activities in group settings.
‘Make a playlist’ service
Top tips on making playlists for people in your community
Involving your volunteers
Guidance to get others involved.
Host a Musical Tea
Everything you need to plan, promote and host a fun event
Promoting your Help Point
Here are some ideas to help you reach people affected by dementia in your local community to let them know about your Help Point.
- If you have a local Dementia Action Alliance or Dementia Friendly Town group, could they share information on your Help Point?
- Are there local care homes and hospitals that could let staff and families know you can help them make a playlist for someone they care for?
- Could local GP surgeries, pharmacies, places of worship, community centres and other community hubs signpost to you and include information in newsletters or on their social media?
- Would your local paper or radio station consider mentioning your Help Point? You could send them your information using suggested text and info from our ‘PR support for newsletters and local press’ document, found below.
- If your group or organisation use social media, could you link with local community groups and dementia support groups in your area and ask them to share information on their profiles/pages?
Promotional content:
Help Point specific:
- Help Point posters: standard version and editable version (to include your contact info)
- Social media images & sample text
- ‘We are a Playlist for Life Help Point’ badge
- Help Point press release template (ideal for newsletters or to pass on to local press)
General awareness raising:
Weekly drop-in and FAQ document
If you have questions or need some support then join one of our weekly drop ins every Friday from 10am – 11am, for the chance to:
- Chat to a Playlist for Life Team member
- Network and share ideas with other Help Points
- Share success stories and challenges
Please get in touch to request the Zoom link.
We also have a Frequently Asked Questions guide to answer questions about becoming a Help Point and some questions your service users might ask.
Tips for a dementia-friendly Help Point
Whether you’re new to supporting people living with dementia or just looking for extra advice, the links below might help people in your organisation.
- Alzheimer’s Society’s Guidance for Dementia Friendly Organisations
- Life Changes Trust’s Dementia Friendly Toolkit
- Alzheimer Society’s Positive Language Guide
- DEEP’s Dementia Words Matter: Guidelines on language about dementia
Advice on engaging with people living with dementia
We are very glad to share here some advice drafted by Dr Jennifer Bute about how best to engage with people with dementia. Jennifer is a retired GP who developed Alzheimer’s dementia at a relatively early age. She now lives in a village for people with dementia and has become a powerful advocate for ways in which we can communicate and care better for people living with the condition.
Online communities
Join our Facebook group to interact and share ideas with other Help Points and follow all of our community news on our Playlist for Communities Twitter profile.
