Archive for January 2016
An Insider’s Tips for Evoking Imagination
Molly Middleton Meyer pulls a red silk scarf out of her rolling suitcase and asks the group of 15, “What does this scarf have to do with springtime?”
A brief silence unfolds while people consider.
“I used to wrap a scarf around my head in the convertible,” one woman says.
The woman sitting next to her smiles. “Scarves blow in the wind,” she says.
Molly mimics the scarf wafting in a breeze.
“If the scarf was music, what kind of music would it be?” Molly asks.
“Jazz,” a man says.
“Rock and roll.”
“Classical.”
Molly, who has an MFA and is the creator of Mind’s Eye Poetry in Dallas, Texas, reaches into her suitcase and brings out a small watering can. She continues the relaxed pacing, asking for impressions, invoking imagination, creating a sense of comfort and connection for this group of people who live in a memory care facility.
After 20 minutes of creative play, Molly takes out a slim book and says, “Here’s a poem about spring that I really like. See what you think.”
She reads the short, rhyming verse and asks for reactions. She then invites the group to contribute to a writing project.
“There are no wrong answers,” she assures them. “I’ll ask something and you’ll say the first thing that comes into your mind. For example, when I say ‘springtime’ what flowers do you think of? ”
“Daffodil, tulip, roses…” the group offers.
Molly writes down each flower and reads it back to the group.
“We have our first line of poetry,” she tells them.
“Imagine where the flowers are, in a vase, in the garden?”
“What colors are they? What time of day is it?”
Every question invites imagination and word-by-word, the poem emerges. After they’ve created three short poems, Molly shows them a piece of art and asks, “What do you see?” She captures their observations and uses their words to create a poem.
Here’s an example of a poem segment created after looking at Oriental Poppies, Georgia O’Keefe’s painting of two large orange poppies.
I see two evening gowns
on a diagonal, flowing.
I see a Scottie dog
prancing in a field of orange.
I see summertime in Santa Fe.
I see a black bird soaring into sunset.
“When I read back their words and say, ‘You all just wrote this,’ it’s very empowering,” Molly says.
For those at home who want to have a session of creative imagining, Molly has these suggestions:
Gather a few interesting objects, such as a recipe book, a nature photo, a pot holder, and one at a time, show them to your partner and ask, “Mom, what do you think about when you see this recipe book?” Give her plenty of time to respond and jot down her answers. If she asks, “Why are you writing?” tell her, “I value what you have to say.”
Soon, you’ll have a collection of words and phrases. You can take a photo of the object along with the poem it inspired and put them together in a book. #
Molly Middleton Meyer is the founder of Dallas-based, Mind’s Eye Poetry. To date, she has facilitated over 600 poems written by people with dementia. Mind’s Eye Poetry has been featured in U.S. News and World Report, the Huffington Post, the Dallas Morning News, Affect Magazine, Growing Bolder Magazine, and on NPR. When Middleton Meyer is not facilitating poetry, she writes her own. Her first book of poetry, Echo of Bones was published in 2014. For more information, contact Molly Middleton Meyer, M.F.A. Poetry Facilitator/Speaker at www.mindseyepoetry.com
Deborah Shouse is the author of Love in the Land of Dementia: Finding Hope in the Caregiver’s Journey.
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The Scent of Creativity: Three Reasons to Add Aromas into Your Life
Madeline could barely sleep at night. She was worried her husband would wake up confused and wander off, so she kept her hand on his chest all night. Her grown children, concerned about her exhaustion, called Jayne Clairmont, owner of English Rose Suites, a dementia consulting and home care business. Jayne listened sympathetically to Madeline’s story and offered a simple solution.
“Place a few drops of pure lavender oil in his navel or on the bottom of his feet before bed,” she advised.
Jayne has shared the powers of essential oils in her national speaking and consulting. She collaborated with Health Partners on a study of 26 memory care residents. The study showed that lavender drops, administered externally before bed, added 43 extra minutes to the sleep cycle. Some sleeping pills only provide an additional 13 minutes of sleep.
For Jayne, understanding essential oils is a simple way to deepen comfort and connection. She starts by learning more about the person living with dementia, so she best knows how to support him. She listens for issues, such as restless sleep, anxiety, or exhaustion. Then she offers a few easy aromatherapy solutions.
“Lavender also induces calm,” Jayne says. She recommends lavender essence for foot massages. When people are pacing and anxious, Jayne suggests a few drops of soothing lavender on a silk flower that they can hold and sniff or wear as a boutonniere.
For someone who’s struggling to stay alert, a few drops of peppermint applied with a warm cloth may help. Jayne may add drops of peppermint to water and use a diffuser or spray bottle to mist the air.
Citrus scents, such as orange and lemon, enhance appetite and help people wake up.
“Essential oils benefit both the care partner and the person living with dementia,” Jayne says. “Keep it simple. Don’t use too many oils and don’t use too much of any oil.”
Deborah Shouse is the author of Love in the Land of Dementia: Finding Hope in the Caregiver’s Journey.
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Ten More Steps to Make Your Community Dementia-Friendly
I’ve been thinking about Michelle’s ideas, inviting us all to be part of creating a more-dementia friendly community. Here are additional thoughts from Michelle Niedens, L.S.C.S.W. Director of Education, Programs and Public Policy, at the Alzheimer’s Association’s Heart of America Chapter.
What volunteers would walk with their neighbors who were living with Alzheimer’s disease, so they could exercise and visit with others, without worrying about getting lost?
What if neighbors volunteered to visit regularly or run an errand?
What if law enforcement went beyond Silver Alerts and had standardized protocol for individuals who wander and go missing?
What if gas stations and convenience stores had training to recognize someone who might be lost?
What if pharmacies provided support information any time an Alzheimer’s drug was prescribed?
What if doctor’s offices had “memory aware” time slots, so people living with dementia wouldn’t have to wait in a noisy, chaotic environment?
What if there were geriatric urgent care settings?
What if grocery stores had a “slow down” line?
What if grocery stores had designated times when shopping support was available?
What would it take for all of us to be “memory aware” and to act on that?
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I want to do something to help here in Kansas City, but I haven’t yet decided what. In my upcoming book, Staying Connected in the Land of Dementia, I write about Meet Me at the Movies & Make Memories, a movie-going event for those living with dementia and their partners, co-created by John Zeisel. That really appeals to me and I’m thinking about contacting local theater owners. I welcome collaborators and I also would love to hear your ideas. What actions are you inspired to take?
Deborah Shouse is the author of Love in the Land of Dementia: Finding Hope in the Caregiver’s Journey.
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Eight Paths towards a More Dementia-Friendly Community
On November 10, 2015, Michelle Niedens, L.S.C.S.W. Director of Education, Programs and Public Policy, at the Alzheimer’s Association’s Heart of America Chapter, gave a beautiful talk, inviting all of us to contribute to a compassionate, inclusive, and dementia-friendly community. Her ideas are both simple and profound and offer a challenge and an invitation for all of us. Over the next two weeks, I’m going to share some of Michelle’s visionary “what if” thinking.
From Michelle:
What would it take for all of us to be memory aware and to act on that?
What if restaurants had finger food menus? What if restaurants had specials from the finger food menu in the middle of the afternoon, when there were fewer people in the restaurant and things were quieter?
What if theatres had showings designed “memory aware”?
What if theatres had showings of old movies monthly with the “memory aware” icon on the website, so families could still enjoy getting out and having the cinema experience?
What if radio stations played songs related to memory issues in November (Alzheimer’s month) or April (Caregiver month)?
What if retail stores had designated days when the staff wore “memory aware” name badges and could provide more support to shoppers?
What if technology-based stores had annual displays of products that support memory, safety, or organization?
What if faith communities identified in bulletins/newsletters those activities that were “memory aware?”
Deborah Shouse is the author of Love in the Land of Dementia: Finding Hope in the Caregiver’s Journey.