Dementia Arts

Book excerpt: Use poetry and the arts to encourage and facilitate communication with people with dementia in a fun and unique way! Dementia Arts guides readers in incorporating poetry, music, and other arts into activity programming to increase interaction and encourage amusement and joy in dementia care. Author Gary Glazner, founder of the Alzheimer's Poetry Project and Institute for Dementia Education and Arts (IDEA), demonstrates how anyone--not just poets or artists--can incorporate creative verbal expression into activities of daily living (as well as day-to-day activities) in an effortless, economical, and enjoyable way. Using simple techniques that build on poetry as a communication tool, you can achieve positive outcomes with people in all stages of dementia, as well as those with challenging behavior. A fun and engaging read, Dementia Arts is perfect for professional and family caregivers, and truly provides the "recipe" for communication success through poetry and art.