Creative Care

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Today’s elderly—especially those experiencing dementia and Alzheimer’s—are often isolated in nursing homes or segregated in elder care facilities, making the final years of life feel lonely and devoid of meaning. To alleviate elders’ sense of aloneness, Dr. Anne Basting has developed a radical approach that combines theater and improvisation methods with medically supported therapies to help them get in touch with their own creativity and become more engaged with their families and communities. Basting has developed creative techniques, rooted in twenty-five years of research, that draw on core exercises from theater. This approach fosters storytelling and active listening, allowing elders to freely share ideas and stories without worrying about getting the details absolutely “correct.” Basting’s years of research have shown that these practices stimulate the brain and awaken the imagination to add wonder and awe to patients’ daily lives—and provide them a means of connection.