The newly opened Bromley Picturehouse cinema is launching their first ever dementia-friendly screenings this month.
Dementia-friendly screenings aim to make cinema more accessible to local dementia communities by providing a fun and inclusive experience to enable people living with dementia, their families and carers to attend the cinema in a safe and welcoming environment.
Open to the general public too, the screenings are enhanced to suit the needs of people living with dementia: the lights are left on low, there are no adverts or trailers and the audience is allowed to move around – or sing along to any musical numbers – should they wish to.
Free tea, coffee and biscuits are served for half an hour before the film to give people the chance to meet and socialise with others, and to familiarise themselves with the cinema space.
The Doris Day classic Pillow Talk will be shown on Thursday, July 18 followed by Grease: 40th Anniversary Sing-Along on Thursday, August 15.
The six-screen Bromley Picturehouse was opened last month in the old art deco building which formally housed the Cineworld.
Karina Brown director of Home Instead Bromley Chislehurst and Orpington – who have partnered Picturehouse on the screening – said: “We are delighted to support Bromley Picturehouse to bring dementia-friendly cinema screenings to Bromley.
At Home Instead Senior Care we support older people to live independently in their own homes and, as many of our clients are living with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, we understand the challenges faced by family carers.
“The dementia-friendly cinema screenings are a wonderful opportunity for people living with dementia, their friends and family to have time together in a safe environment, watching wonderful movies. Please tell everyone you know and of course come along to the next screening, we would love to see you.”
This sounds wonderful
My mum has dementia 93 years old & we have her living at home with us