Jane Bothello was introduced to Action On Alzheimer’s & Dementia by her late father, Arthur DeSilva.

He was one of a handful of people who would gather around Tony Brannon as he played guitar at Peace Lutheran Church.

Some would burst into song; feet would invariably start tapping.

Ms Bothello was thrilled to see the impact it had on her father, who had been given an Alzheimer’s diagnosis about two years before AAD was formed in 2012.

“Liz Stewart, who’s the founder of Action On Alzheimer's, started the group with Tony Brannon, who plays the guitar, and maybe four other people. It was super tiny when they first started.

“I would go with my mom every now and then and take dad. And just knowing what Dad had, I would study up on it and try to figure out ways that we could basically help them live a really good life till the end.”

AAD describes dementia as an umbrella term that covers “a number of specific medical conditions and is caused by damage to brain cells”. Its impact on memory, language, cognitive thinking and problem-solving skills is so severe that it interferes with daily life, and worsens progressively.

The charity estimates that there are about 3,000 people in Bermuda living with a form of dementia.

As demand grew, the charity included arts and crafts, games and movement exercises along with music activities.

“I could see the difference in everybody at the end of the day, and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I'd love to do this,’” said Ms Bothello, who signed up for the part-time position of activities co-ordinator eight years ago.

Part of the job involves preparing the church hall before clients arrive and putting an alternate plan in place should things go awry.

Ms Bothello did not have a medical background when she took on the role but has since qualified as a dementia care specialist.

“I trained as a nurse's aide through the hospital — so CPR, first aid, that sort of thing — just because we had seniors with us. I just wanted to make sure that if anything happened that somebody was trained to help in the situation,” she said.

Ms Bothello then took online courses to earn her qualification in dementia care. She keeps up the certification with training every two years.

“It's the care and also helping them get through difficult situations like bathing, not wanting to get dressed, not wanting to get up. If they get into a bad mood, it’s just trying to bring them back and make them feel safe again,” she said.

“I think the training also comes into play because you've got people with questions and it's not one size fits all when it comes to an answer. There's so many different things that you can try because there is not one thing that is going to work [for everyone].”

The role kept her busy for three hours a day until she decided to step down at the end of last year to care for her mother. Reluctant to leave completely, she is to work part-time with Marie Fay, an occupational therapist and founder of NorthStar Dementia.

Ms Bothello will lead cognitive stimulation therapy for people with early onset dementia or people who have recently received a diagnosis.

“It's more like a classroom setting as opposed to the activities we do with Action On Alzheimer's,” she said. “We do memory recall. We pull in music and exercises, too. But it’s more of a programme where we're working their mind the whole time. I think it's excellent for them.”

She hopes that AAD finds someone who is enthusiastic about “the club”, so dubbed to make it easier for clients to buy into attending.

“I actually never knew Dad sang until he started to go to the club,” she said. “Music, I think in general [has helped] every single person that's walked through the door since I started there. They could be super timid when they first come because they don't know anybody or they're just a little sceptical about where they are, but once the music starts you see their feet starting to tap, and if they know the songs, they start to sing. It's just the cutest thing.”

About 30 clients and their caregivers attend the daily sessions. As the group meets every day, members have come to think of it as a family gathering.

“God forbid we miss a day because of a holiday or something,” Ms Bothello laughed. “It's so rewarding.

“It’s brought out the best in me for sure. Not that I was a bad person before but I think I’m more patient, just kinder to people in general. It's definitely changed the way I think about a lot of things.”

She believes AAD is also a blessing for caregivers of people with dementia. A support group meets monthly and there is a WhatsApp chat should questions arise.

“These guys need some downtime and some relaxation and a break as well,” she said. “A lot of these carers live in the home with them and I understand, from Mom taking care of Dad, that's a lot of work to be with [them] 24/7.”

The roughly 45 people who are part of the WhatsApp group do not necessarily attend the AAD activities but have formed a community for anyone who needs help.

“It's just good that we have all these different outlets for them to be able to reach out to somebody that's going through the same thing,” Ms Bothello said.

“Having been through that, you’re not just talking from a textbook, you're talking from experience and you can sympathise and not just empathise.”

Ms Bothello believes there is a need for similar programmes at either end of the island and at nursing homes.

“We want to reach everybody and there's this tsunami of dementia. There’s just so many and we don't have enough space or staff to accommodate everybody and it's really sad.”

• To learn more about Action On Alzheimer’s & Dementia or to apply for the job of activities co-ordinator, visit aad.bm. Learn more about NorthStar Dementia at northstardementia.bm