Anchor and Cognitive Books hold special event to reminisce about Classic Coronation Street at Lightbowne Hall

Anchor and Cognitive Books held a special event on the 64th anniversary of Coronation Street at Lightbowne Hall care home in Manchester. 

The celebration day included a series of activities based around Looking back at… Classic Coronation Street, published by Cognitive Books and written for people living with dementia. Betty’s Lancashire Hotpot was served as part of a themed lunch where residents enjoyed quizzes, games and fancy dress with Anchor colleagues and their loved ones.

Looking back at… Classic Coronation Street focuses on the first three decades of the beloved ITV soap. It employs techniques to support the reader, such as covering individual stories on a single page, using rhyme and rhythm to stimulate recall, beautiful illustrations to bring the text to life, and exercises based on Cognitive Stimulation Therapy to encourage social interaction. People living with dementia were involved in its creation and the book is designed to help reminiscence and encourage conversations with loved ones.

Looking back at... Classic Coronation Street is produced in collaboration with Alzheimer’s Society’s and ITV. The founder of Cognitive Books, gerontologist Matt Singleton, had the idea for a book series when he noticed his father, Brian, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2017, was losing his passion for reading as his cognitive abilities declined.

Asa Johnson, Service Improvement Manager at Anchor, England’s largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care for people in later life, says:

Looking Back at... Classic Coronation Street is a fantastic resource, supporting residents with dementia to enjoy meaningful activity, and boosting their creativity and wellbeing. At Anchor, we are committed to delivering the highest quality and standards of dementia services for our residents, so we were delighted to host the book launch at Lightbowne Hall care home.

Matt Singleton of Cognitive Books says:

So many people have requested a Cognitive Book based on Coronation Street. It’s a show that has brought so much joy to its viewers over the decades and – as we aim is to bring joy and potential wellbeing benefits to people living with dementia – Looking back at… Classic Coronation Street will help people relive some of the soap’s classic storylines and characters. We’re incredibly excited to work with Anchor on this initiative – it is always wonderful, and fun, to witness people interacting with the books first hand in a group environment.

To find out more about Lightbowne Hall, click here.