Introduction to Creative and Sensory Therapies for Alzheimer's Disease (part 2)

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia brain boosting activities

Here is a dementia music activity

by Christine Kennard

Reminiscence Reminiscence refers to recollections of memories from the past. Reminiscence is about exchanging memories with the old and young, friends and relatives, with caregivers and professionals, passing on information, wisdom and skills. Reminiscence is about giving the person with Alzheimer’s a sense of value, importance, belonging, power and peace.

Lesley, an acquaintance of mine, sent me this great article about how this activity helped her. Lesley's Tip- Reminiscence Manuals

Painting, pottery, sculpting can be done as an individual or group activity. You can try out the different mediums.

Drama is usually used as a therapy in long-term care or day centers as a means of communication and therapy. A drama therapist's skill is needed to make the experience meaningful. Not only can drama therapy meet many of the aims of creative therapy and treatment previously mentioned, it can also help with diagnosis and evaluation, too. An example might be someone enacting how the medication they take makes them feel, or the therapist seeing what effect a new medication has on the way a person behaves. This information can feed into patient evaluation.
Drama therapy usually involves people of mixed skills and abilities and can use other mediums, such as art, to assist in creative expression.

Dancing and movement can be an activity offered in day and inpatient centers and it doubles as an enjoyable exercise. But just having a good dance to music that the person with Alzheimer's can remember, or is part of their era, is reason enough. Make sure you give yourselves a bit of space!

Cooking is a great means of expression, especially for women. It clues into their previous activities and skills and new ways for them to give back to their caregivers

I hope I have given you some useful ideas. Try them out. I would love to hear how you cope. We would all like to. Why not submit an article passing on all your tips and ideas.

Atricle Sources Include:
Cantley, Caroline (ed). A Handbook of Dementia Care. 2001. Philadelphia: Open University Press, 2001.

Bornat, Joanna (ed). Reminiscience Reviewed. 1995. Bristol P A: Open University Press, 1995.

Kitwood, Tom. Dementia Reconsidered-the person comes first. 1997. New York: Open University Press, 2004.