Dean McLaughlin<\/span>BBC News NI<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n A choir that was formed to help people on the north coast living with dementia “has been a life-changing support network”, according to those affected.<\/p>\n Age Concern Causeway formed a choir of men and women in September 2024 which has now grown in size.<\/p>\n The choir, of about 20 people, got some help this Christmas when the children of Castleroe Primary School helped them with a concert at St Patrick’s Church in Coleraine.<\/p>\n “I love it and I sit at home and sing away,” 80-year-old Kathleen Kane told BBC News NI.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Kathleen, who was diagnosed with dementia six years ago, said Silent Night is her favourite Christmas song.<\/p>\n “When I was a child I sang Silent Night and loved it,” Ms Kane added before bursting into song.<\/p>\n “The children are all so good to help us here.”<\/p>\n Ms Kane sings with her daughter Sharon Chambers in the choir.<\/p>\n Ms Chambers said she has noticed a real difference in her mother’s behaviour since joining.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “We weren’t singers before but now we sing away and it’s so special we can do it together,” Ms Chambers said.<\/p>\n “This has been very good for her and it makes her very happy. Dementia is really hard on a family especially when you see them confused.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Elsie, who is part of Castleroe Primary School choir, told BBC News NI: “It was a pleasure to see our singing bring a smile to their faces.”<\/p>\n “We love to encourage others to enjoy singing. We are here to support these elderly people and to say ‘we are here for you’.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Daphne McCarthy, who also lives with dementia, said: “I was brought up with music and church music. I love it and it makes me so happy. <\/p>\n “You can also see the joy in the young people’s faces too and that is the greatest gift. <\/p>\n “It’s really helping me at Christmas.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Mandy Corr, manager at Age Concern Causeway, said: “People with dementia don’t often leave the house so this is a real chance to bring joy to people.<\/p>\n “The change we see in people is so clear. When they sing they go back in time and start talking about memories from years ago.<\/p>\n “The choir has got bigger and the joy it brings is unbelievable. It has been a life changing support network for so many of them.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Dementia is a symptom found in many diseases of the brain.<\/p>\n Memory loss is the most common symptom, particularly the struggle to remember recent events.<\/p>\n Others can include changes to behaviour, mood and personality, becoming lost in familiar places, or being unable to find the right word in a conversation.<\/p>\n There is no cure, though doctors can try to prevent further damage and slow the progress of the disease in patients with some types of dementia, vascular dementia for example.<\/p>\n In other cases, treatments focus on alleviating symptoms and helping patients to live well with the illness.<\/p>\n![\"BBC](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/0fe9\/live\/272e5b00-db63-11f0-a40b-7311c1e1f739.jpg.webp\")
BBC<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n‘I sang Silent Night and loved it’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/static.files.bbci.co.uk\/bbcdotcom\/web\/20251210-151139-37baf2dfdd-web-2.36.1-1\/grey-placeholder.png\")
![\"The](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/5496\/live\/c22347f0-db64-11f0-b1a4-5dc5d1c6f4ef.jpg.webp\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n‘It’s so special we can do it together’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"Elsie](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/ae13\/live\/8faec1e0-db65-11f0-b1a4-5dc5d1c6f4ef.jpg.webp\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Daphne](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/b903\/live\/29aaaf30-e051-11f0-bc44-4308051e723f.jpg.webp\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Mandy](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/c791\/live\/1d52bee0-db64-11f0-b1a4-5dc5d1c6f4ef.jpg.webp\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhat is dementia?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n