Storybox

AnAgeingandCrea1vityCaseStudy23rdOctober2012

Whatisdemen1a?

Damagetothebrainthatcanaffect:

•  Memory

•  Communica1on•  VisualProcessing•  BodyAwareness•  Planning,judgementandcontrol

Demen1a–thecontext

•  Thenumberofpeopleaged75andolderinEnglandisprojectedtoincreasefrom4millionin2012to7.2millionin2030

•  Approx600,000peoplewithdemen1aintheUK

•  By2030sthisfigurees1matedtoriseby70%toaround1.1million–2%ofthepopula1on

•  Demen1a=anormalexperienceforawiderangeofpeople

•  “Normallivingisdoingthings–meaningfulengagementinnormallife”AlexWalker,NHSLancashire

•  Movingawayfromdeficitdrivenmodelsofcaretocarethatismoreintui1veandreflec1ve

•  Suppor1ngpeopletoleadfullliveswheretheyareabletomakedecisionsforthemselvesand/ortakecharge

Demen1aandCrea1vity

•  Crea1veareasofthebrainaregenerallythelasttoretainfunc1on

•  Lackofresearch/evidencebaseespeciallyinthelongerterm

•  Researchagendaisstar1ngtopickup

•  Muchofcareaboutmanagementofexpressivebehaviour

•  Pharmacologicalversusnon‐pharmacologicalapproachestothis

“Peoplehaveadesperateneedforhumanconnec1onandinterac1on.Ifpeoplecancommunicatetheyarenolongeralone”

NaomiFoilValida&onTherapy

Wheredoescrea1vitycomein?

•  Crea1vityasamechanismtobuildcommuni1es/rela1onshipsandexpressingiden1ty

•  “Artswithmystery,meaningmaking,inspira1on”AnnBas1ng

•  “Crea1vityasawayofmakingmeaning”McKnightandBlack–TheAbundantCommunity

•  Crea1vitywithintrinsicvaluethatweoeendon’tfullyunderstand

•  Capacitytocreatemeaningfulpar1cipatorysocialroles

•  Communicatethroughdifferences

•  Makelinksbetweenindividualandcommunity

•  “Somethingnewaddedtotheworldthathasvalue”GeneCohen

•  LizPostlethwaite•  liz@smallthings.org.uk•  crea1veages.org.uk