Connecting in the Land of Dementia: Creative Activities to Explore Together

by Deborah Shouse

Overview

Innovative ideas designed so care partners can engage and connect with people living with dementia.

On the dementia journey, each quality moment of connection is priceless. Deborah Shouse and dozens of experts in the field of dementia share ideas that engage the creative spirit so you can continue to experience those meaningful moments of connecting. These easy and adaptable projects—music, art, movies, cooking, storytelling, gardening, movement, and many more—can foster stronger relationships, renew hope, and ignite a sense of purpose for people who are living with dementia and their care partners. You don't need special skills to enjoy these expressive activities. Simply incorporate them into your daily routine and you'll enrich your time together.


Deborah Shouse is a writer, speaker, editor, creativity catalyst, and dementia advocate. She has an MBA but uses it only in emergencies. Her writing has appeared in a variety of publications including The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Natural Awakenings, Reader’s Digest, Newsweek, Woman’s Day, Spirituality & Health, The Chicago Tribune and Unity Magazine. Deborah has been featured in many anthologies, including more than four-dozen Chicken Soup books. She has written a number of business books and for years Deborah wrote a love story column for the Kansas City Star.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781942094241
Publisher:	Central Recovery Press, LLC
Publication date:	09/13/2016
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Deborah Shouse is a writer, speaker, editor, creativity catalyst, and dementia advocate. She has an MBA but uses it only in emergencies. Her writing has appeared in a variety of publications including The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Natural Awakenings, Reader’s Digest, Newsweek, Woman’s Day, Spirituality & Health, The Chicago Tribune and Unity Magazine. Deborah has been featured in many anthologies, including more than four-dozen Chicken Soup books. She has written a number of business books, including Breaking the Ice, Nametags Plus, Communicating with Difficult People, and Marketing Yourself at Work. For years Deborah wrote a love story column for the Kansas City Star.

Deborah initially self-published her book, Love in the Land of Dementia: Finding Hope in the Caregiver’s Journey. Using the book as a catalyst, Deborah and her partner Ron raised more than $80,000 for dementia programs. Central Recovery Press has published an updated version of this book.

Deborah and Ron have orchestrated workshops and performed her dramatized stories for Alzheimer’s Associations and care partners groups in the United States, New Zealand, Nova Scotia, Puerto Rico, England, Ireland, Chile, Costa Rica, Italy, Turkey, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. They have worked with spiritual groups, hospice, healthcare professionals, activity directors, long-term care centers, social workers, and book clubs. Through sharing their message of finding creativity and hope in the dementia journey, they have connected with care partners around the world.

Table of Contents

Preface: How My Desire for Connection Guided Me through the Land of Dementia xi

Section I Creativity and Imagination Matter 1

Chapter 1 Discover the Wonders in the Dementia Jungle 3

Look beyond the Thorns 3

Sneak Previews 6

Outsmart Personal Resistance 8

Get Started 10

Chapter 2 Make the Most of This Book 11

Take a New Look at the Yellow Crayon 11

Embrace the Why, How, and Wow 14

Section II Meaningful Projects for People Living with Dementia and Their Care Partners 23

Chapter 3 Strengthen Communications through Creativity 25

Explore New Ways of Connecting 25

Join the Dementia Revolution 27

Reinvent Favorite Hobbies 32

Use Playfulness to Jump-Start Conversations 34

Say Yes to Improv 37

Spice Up Communications 40

Discover the Creativity at the End of the Rainbow 43

Chapter 4 Tune In with Music and Memory 47

Music Matters 47

Fly to the Moon with Music Therapy 49

Embrace the Duet of Music and the Brain 51

Come Alive with Personal Playlists 55

Sing Along and Find Your Voice 60

Weave In Rhythm 64

Unearth Life's Lyrics 67

Encore 72

Chapter 5 Add Imagination to Movement 73

Explore Creative Movement and Exercise 73

Ah-Ha-Ha with Laughter 74

Brighten the Brain with Movement Therapy 81

Work Wonders with Workouts 85

Partner Dancing for a Purpose 88

Chapter 6 Cook Up Memorable Moments 93

Create Meaningful Moments through Food 93

Feed Friendships by Cooking 97

Build Brain Power with Culinary Creativity 100

A Feast for the Senses 103

Nibble on a Few Extras 105

Chapter 7 Grow Together through Nature 107

Dig into Your Own Natural Resources 107

Snuggle Up with the Warm Puppy Solution 109

Connect with Chickens and Dogs and Llamas 111

Plant Tomatoes and Grow Relationships 114

Harvest Happiness through Volunteer Farming 117

Think Outside the House 120

Go Outdoors and Build Brain Health 123

Blossom with Flower Power 130

Chapter 8 Engage Imagination with Movies, Puppets, Clowns, and a Dash of Drama 133

Fan Your Imagination 133

Treat Yourself to a Reel Boost 134

Give a Hand with Puppets 138

Clown Around for Connection 141

Ignite Your Creativity 145

Chapter 9 Invite Creativity with Writing, Storytelling, and Poetry 149

Discover Your Own Personalized Poetic License 149

Prompt Imagination 150

Create Stories Together 152

Sneak Past the Facts and Connect through Poetry 159

Turn Ordinary Life into Extraordinary Poems 163

Honor Personal History 167

Celebrate Heroes through Storytelling and Scrapbooking 171

Chapter 10 Express Yourself through the Arts 175

It's Almost like Being in Love 175

Open Your Imagination by Looking at Art 178

Visit a Gallery and Draw on Memory 183

Brush Away Apathy through Painting 186

Draw One Line, Then Another 188

Bring Imagination into the Picture 193

Open Studios Invite Artistic Exploration 199

Illustrate Your Life 201

Weave In Fabric 205

Connect through Collage 208

Cut, Paste, and Converse 210

Chapter 11 Dive into Playfulness, Games, Fiddling, and Technology 213

Play On 213

Invite Playfulness 215

Dig into Delightfully Destructive Dominoes 219

Keep a Pocket Full of Memories 220

Forage in a Fiddle Box 225

Plug into Technology to Connect 228

About Deborah 233

Acknowledgments 235

About the Contributors 237

Resources 253

Bibliography 265

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"In its infinite capacity to affect both the sufferer and the caregiver, Alzheimer’s dementia is in every way the medical fraternity’s most profound challenge. The complete collapse of an individual’s sense of identity is an agonizing event that calls for not only therapeutic interventions but also creative endeavors that can buffer the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s reach. Deborah Shouse’s Connecting in the Land of Dementia is a venture into those very creative realms, with comprehensive insight into the various innovative modes ranging from laughter to music to arts. It is a caregiver’s wonderful companion to journey inside the heart of a troubled mind. Compassionate and authentic, the book is a great resource." -- Shuvendu Sen, MD, Director, Medical Education, Raritan Bay, Hackensack University, Author of Why Buddha Never Had Alzheimer's: A Holistic Treatment Approach through Meditation, Yoga and the Arts

Editorial Reviews

A ‘must read’ for every care partner because it really helps you to look at things differently! This book is very special in the way it provides you with hundreds of suggestions on how to be a good care partner for someone with dementia and enjoy this yourself as well. Deborah inspired me by bringing together so many positive examples of using creativity to engage with people with dementia. —Marc Wortmann, Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Disease International

Making the most of the moment’ is the essence of Deborah Shouse’s new book, Connecting in the Land of Dementia. Her creative and imaginative ideas on ways to engage your loved one with Alzheimer’s disease are meant to channel frustration into fulfillment and lift the human spirit. —Meryl Comer, President, Geoffrey Beene Foundation Alzheimer’s Initiative and Author of New York Times best seller Slow Dancing with a Stranger: Lost and Found in the Age of Alzheimer’s

A thoughtful and positive guide to the very thing I find myself constantly advocating to doctors, caregivers, and family members—social stimulation and creative arts will limit the need for psychiatric medication and improve the quality of life for those with dementia more than anything else. —Doug Wornell, MD, Life Solutions Group for Geriatric and Neurological Psychiatry

With interesting, delightful, specific detail, the reader is shown how to keep the person living with dementia a part of life. Whether it is through art or gardening or storytelling or dancing or music, a life can go on. Bravo to Deborah Shouse for showing us how to ‘connect in the land of dementia. —Trish Vradenburg, Cofounder, UsAgainstAlzheimer’s and WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s

Connecting in the Land of Dementia is a lively and essential guide for any dementia care partner who wants to help a loved one feel joy and purpose through simple, fun activities. It’s also a rare collection of wisdom from dozens of experts worldwide who specialize in creative dementia care. Even if we know little about painting, poetry, dance, chickens, or llamas, we can turn to any chapter and be inspired. —Martha Stettinius, Author of Inside the Dementia Epidemic: A Daughter’s Memoir

Deborah Shouse’s inspiring book provides caregivers with tools from which to create meaningful, life-enhancing activities that can strengthen their connections. Buy the book, read it, highlight what inspires you. As you make notes and bend pages to personalize this guide, you are creating a family treasure. —Carol Bradley Bursack, Founder of Minding Our Elders


Connecting in the Land of Dementia is an inspiring and creative compilation of activities for dementia caregivers. Longtime healthcare professionals will find innovative new projects to add to their routines. We should thank Shouse for her lovingly prepared collection that will be indispensable to so many of us. —Sandra Stimson CADDCT CALA, AC-BC, ADC, CDP, CDCM, CFR-DT, CEO, National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners


Deborah Shouse provides a great public service by shining light on the numerous creative activities that can meaningfully engage the minds and spirits of persons living with Dementia. From personalized music to storytelling, Shouse makes it easy for caregivers to understand the various options they have to help their loved ones navigate through their everyday lives. —Dan Cohen, MSW, Founding Executive Director, Music & Memory, Inc.

Once again, Deborah Shouse delivers a book that softens our hearts and opens our minds to find fun ways to connect to the soul. No matter what our situation in life, no matter what our ability is to communicate, we all crave and need to be connected to one another. —Lori La Bey, Founder of Alzheimersspeaks website

Connecting in the Land of Dementia simply shines as a beacon of hope for persons living with dementia and their care partners. The innovative approaches and fresh ideas Deborah has curated will help families impacted by this disease continue to connect with one another at every stage. There’s at least one great idea on every page. I highly recommend it. —Mara Botonis, Author of When Caring Takes Courage


Deborah has created an assuring, light of heart and deep in wisdom weaving of the great thinkers and practitioners in the field of dementia care. Here you will find bite-sized, inspirational approaches to being in company with someone with memory loss. From music to food, from painting to storytelling, she invites family members to move past resistance (and understandable grieving) to open themselves to a world of connection through creativity. —Anne Basting, Professor of Theatre, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee & President, TimeSlips Creative Storytelling


Deborah uses her experience as a caregiver and years of her own research to create a fun and imaginative guide for caregivers that draws on progress in the arts, physical exercise, and mental stimulation. At its root is the premise that life can still be rich with feeling and meaning even when living with dementia. —Jeffrey M. Burns, MD, Codirector of the University of Kansas Alzheimer’s Disease Center


This uplifting book is really a ‘can-do guide’ that gives you permission to relax and allow a bit of room for the creative process to begin. The author has a gift for bringing light and love to her writing without minimizing or sugarcoating the realities of dementia and caregiving. Deborah understands from a first-hand perspective that a care partner has plenty of duties already, so this book doesn’t give the reader the sense that ‘there is yet more to add to my to-do list.’ Instead, the overall spirit of the book is about the infinite possibilities and opportunities to connect, create, and imagine together.  —Carmen Mendieta, MPA, Brookdale National Group Respite Program


Connecting in the Land of Dementia is a wonderful compilation of shared experiences that remind and challenge us to think about reaching out to individuals with Alzheimer’s and other cognitive challenges in new ways. Deborah’s hopeful spirit comes dancing through in every chapter, with so many wonderful projects and innovators as her partner. All I can say is this: Listen to her. —Michelle Niedens, LSCSW, Director of Education, Programs and Public Policy, Alzheimer’s Association, Heart of America Chapter


This book shares stories of compassion and understanding. I found new ways to focus on ensuring quality of life at any level of cognition. It is a must read if you work in elder care settings. —Alisa Tagg, BA, ACC/EDU, AC-BC, CDP, President, National Association of Activity Professionals


Encouraging, new suggestions for merging caregivers’ activities with their loved one’s realities of living with dementia. —Leisa Easom, PhD, RN, Executive Director, Pope Eminent Scholar, Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving


This book inspires people to be creatively engaged. There are many moments to interact play-Full-y. —Jolene Brackey, Author of Creating Moments of Joy


Connecting in the Land of Dementia allows the opportunity to see, in one comprehensive space, the numerous activities and opportunities individuals can have with their loved ones through the course of their dementia. Deborah Shouse and the experts she calls upon provide concrete steps to ensure individuals living with dementia and their caregivers will remain able to live a meaningful life. —Molly Fogel, LCSW, Director of Educational and Social Services, Alzheimer’s Foundation of America


The opportunity to connect through music, dancing, poetry, card playing, and more can lift the hopes of all who want to maintain relationships with those they love late into dementia. —Alicia Ann Clair, PhD, Music Therapist-Board Certified, Professor Emeritus, The University of Kansas, Lawrence


In its infinite capacity to affect both the sufferer and the caregiver, Alzheimer’s dementia is in every way the medical fraternity’s most profound challenge. The complete collapse of an individual’s sense of identity is an agonizing event that calls for not only therapeutic interventions but also creative endeavors that can buffer the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s reach. Deborah Shouse’s Connecting in the Land of Dementia is a venture into those very creative realms, with comprehensive insight into the various innovative modes ranging from laughter to music to arts. It is a caregiver’s wonderful companion to journey inside the heart of a troubled mind. Compassionate and authentic, the book is a great resource. —Shuvendu Sen, MD, Director, Medical Education, Raritan Bay, Hackensack University, Author of Why Buddha Never Had Alzheimer's: A Holistic Treatment Approach through Meditation, Yoga and the Arts

From the Publisher