We already saw this at different stands on the AAHSA Annual Meeting and Expo 2008 in Philadelphia last month; storytelling is an innovative activity for seniors in long-term care facilities to increase well being and cognitive functioning, foster meaningful social interactions and tap into residents’ creativity. A post by Mary K on her blog Novice to Expert links to a very interesting article by Diane Persson and Denise Atkerson in Provider Magazine.

From the Novice to Expert blog post:

This article from Provider Magazine, Creative Tasks Spark Imagination, outlines three techniques used in a long term care facility for residents along the continuum of memory impairments (from none to late-stage Alzheimer’s or dementia). The first technique is based on Timeslips, which promotes social interaction. It helps to reduce the isolation that many persons with dementia may experience.

The second technique involves storyboarding which can be done by the resident or by the family, if the resident is not able to participate. Upon completion of the storyboard, a celebration is held to celebrate the individual’s life.

In the third technique, individuals write their life stories in a 6-10 week storytelling workshop.

Click here to read the full post.