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(Photo
courtesy Timeslips.org)
Storytelling
Program Improves Lives of People with
Alzheimer’s…Creative
intervention bolsters well-being, MU
researchers find
Feb. 28, 2011. — Nearly 16 million
Americans will be diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s disease or
another type of dementia by 2050, according
to the Alzheimer’s Association. Symptoms
include mood and behavior changes,
disorientation, memory loss and difficulty
walking and speaking.
The effects of anti-dementia drugs on
patients’ emotions and behaviors are
inconsistent.
Now, University of Missouri researchers have
found that participation in TimeSlips,
a drug-free, creative storytelling
intervention, improves communication skills
and positive affect 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 Lorraine
Phillips, assistant professor in the
Sinclair School of Nursing.
“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.”
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,” Phillips said.
“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.”
In the study, Phillips and her colleagues
delivered the TimeSlips intervention in
one-hour sessions, held twice weekly for six
consecutive weeks.
The results included increased expressions
of pleasure and initiation of social
communication. Improvements in participants’
affect lasted several weeks following the
final session.
The intervention is acceptable for people
with mild to moderate dementia, Phillips
said.
Phillips worked with Stephanie Reid-Arndt,
assistant professor of health psychology in
the School of Health Professions, and
Youngju Pak, assistant professor of health
management and informatics in the School of
Medicine.
The study, “Effects of a Creative Expression
Intervention on Emotions, Communication, and
Quality of Life in Persons with Dementia”
was published in Nursing
Research.
For more information about training and
materials, visit: http://www.timeslips.org/
