Creative storytelling improves lives of people with dementia: Study

Washington, Feb 26 (ANI): A University of Missouri study has found that creative storytelling improves communication skills and has a positive affect on people with dementia.

Lorraine Phillips, John A. Hartford of the Sinclair School of Nursing, found that participation in TimeSlips, a drug-free, creative storytelling intervention, improved facilitated positive emotions in persons with dementia.

TimeSlips is a nationally recognized storytelling program for people with dementia that encourages participants to use their imaginations to create short stories as a group.

Rather than relying on factual recall, participants respond verbally to humorous images presented by facilitators who record the responses and read narratives to further develop or end the stories.

"TimeSlips provides rich, engaging opportunities for persons with dementia to interact with others while exercising their individual strengths," said Phillips.

"It encourages participants to be actively involved and to experience moments of recognition, creation and celebration. Meaningful activities, such as TimeSlips, promote positive social environments that are central to person-centered care," he said.

The storytelling program is an easy and affordable activity for long-term care facilities to implement and allows caregivers to interact with multiple residents at a time, Phillips said.

"TimeSlips offers a stimulating alternative to typical activities in long-term care facilities. It is an effective and simple option for care providers, especially those who lack resources or skills required for art, music or other creative interventions," said Phillips.

The study has been published in the journal Nursing Research. (ANI)