This document discusses dementia and creativity. It defines dementia as damage to the brain that affects functions like memory, communication, and judgment. The number of people with dementia is projected to increase significantly in coming years. While dementia impacts people, creative areas of the brain can be among the last to be affected. The document explores how creativity may help people with dementia build relationships and express identity. It argues creativity allows meaningful participation and communication for those living with dementia.

1. Storybox
An Ageing and Crea1vity Case Study
23rd October 2012

2. What is demen1a?
Damage to the brain that
can affect:
• Memory
• Communica1on
• Visual Processing
• Body Awareness
• Planning, judgement
and control

3. Demen1a – the context
• The number of people
aged 75 and older in
England is projected to
increase from 4 million in
2012 to 7.2 million in
2030
• Approx 600,000 people
with demen1a in the UK
• By 2030s this figure
es1mated to rise by 70%
to around 1.1 million – 2%
of the popula1on

4. • Demen1a = a normal experience for a wide
range of people
• “Normal living is doing things – meaningful
engagement in normal life” Alex Walker, NHS
Lancashire
• Moving away from deficit driven models of
care to care that is more intui1ve and
reflec1ve
• Suppor1ng people to lead full lives where they
are able to make decisions for themselves
and / or take charge

5. Demen1a and Crea1vity
• Crea1ve areas of the brain
are generally the last to
retain func1on
• Lack of research / evidence
base especially in the longer
term
• Research agenda is star1ng
to pick up
• Much of care about
management of expressive
behaviour
• Pharmacological versus
non‐pharmacological
approaches to this

6. “People have a desperate
need for human
connec1on and
interac1on. If people
can communicate they
are no longer alone”
Naomi Foil
Valida&on Therapy

7. Where does crea1vity come in?
• Crea1vity as a mechanism
to build communi1es /
rela1onships and
expressing iden1ty
• “Arts with mystery,
meaning making,
inspira1on” Ann Bas1ng
• “Crea1vity as a way of
making meaning”
McKnight and Black – The
Abundant Community

8. • Crea1vity with intrinsic
value that we oeen don’t
fully understand
• Capacity to create
meaningful par1cipatory
social roles
• Communicate through
differences
• Make links between
individual and community
• “Something new added to
the world that has value”
Gene Cohen

9. • Liz Postlethwaite
• liz@smallthings.org.uk
• crea1veages.org.uk