Creative Care: A Revolutionary Approach to Dementia and Elder Care

by Anne Basting

A MacArthur Genius Grant recipient pioneers a radical change in how we interact with older loved ones, especially those experiencing dementia, as she introduces a proven, drug-free method that uses the creative arts to bring light and joy to the lives of elders.

Caregivers for older adults—especially for those experiencing dementia and Alzheimer’s—can feel at a loss for how to meaningfully connect with loved ones. This can make the final years of life feel lonely and devoid of meaning, for both elders and their care partners. To alleviate this sense of aloneness, Dr. Anne Basting has developed a radical approach that combines theater and improvisation methods with evidence-based therapies to help people get in touch with their own creativity and become more engaged with their families and communities.

Basting understands that trying to talk with those for whom the past and present are often mixed can be frustrating for both the elder as well as caregivers and family members. But there is way to engage — imagination and creativity can help bridge the communications void and bring loved ones back to one another. 

Basting has developed creative techniques, rooted in twenty-five years of research, that draw on elements of theater—such as “Yes, And” and “Beautiful Questions.” This approach fosters storytelling and active listening, allowing elders to freely share ideas and stories without worrying about getting the details absolutely “correct.” Basting’s years of research have shown that these practices awaken the imagination to add wonder and awe to patients’ daily lives—and, most importantly, provide them a means of connection.

In Creative Care, Basting lays the groundwork for a widespread transformation in our approach to elder care and uses compelling, touching stories to inspire and guide us all—family, friends, and health professionals—in new ways and satisfying ways. 

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Health

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 19, 2020

About the author

ANNE BASTING, PhD, is a widely recognized leader in transforming aging and elder care, the author of Creative Care, and the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Grant. She is the founder of the non-profit TimeSlips which implements her innovative approach to memory care. Her work as the founding director of University of Wisconsin Milwaukee’s Center on Age & Community was also featured in the PBS documentary, “The Penelope Project” (2011).

See also Anne Davis Basting.

Reviews

[Laura Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mom has Alzheimer’s. This book gave me hope and reminded me that she can still be creative and find community. I’m grateful for the structures and culture change that the author and her colleagues are trying to create.

[Sue Mosher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book, even if you only read it for Anne Basting's story. Lots of good ideas to try with friends/family members who have dementia, although it wouldn't work quite as well with someone who can no longer speak. (She does talk about that some.) I highly recommend this book.

[Britt B]

A great resource for caregivers of the elderly and/or individuals suffering from dementia. It contains lots of helpful tips and notes as well as heartwarming stories. Really just a good read for anyone wanting to know more. Very inspired by all the work the author has done.

[Addy · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is so good, so informative, so thoughtful, so inspiring, HIGHLY recommend

[Laura May]

DNF at around 2/3rds. I was listening to this to try and find some helpful strategies for talking with my Nan, who has dementia. I didn't particularly care about the author's journey, or indeed about the stories of random people that took up the last third of the book. The central third is the only helpful part, and there I would have gained just as much meaning from a checklist, or a short brochure at best. It essentially boils down to improv principles with a dose of active listening, captured by:

1. Using 'yes, and...'. This is a technique in improv where you can't say 'no', you just have to roll with whatever's happening. Same principle applies here. Don't say 'no' to the person with dementia, roll with their interpretation of the world or reframe.

2. Asking 'beautiful questions'. Essentially open questions so that the person has agency and can create their own world (rather than being limited by yes/no answers to closed questions.

3. Proof of listening. Literally just active listening.

4. Connecting to the larger world. This basically means sharing your experiences or skills with others, and likewise for the older person (e.g. they can assist younger people with doing things they are expert in, or share stories with them).

5. Opening yourself to wonder. Know that you can't control the dementia, or if it happens/happened. She also talks about 'beautiful questions' (examples available on her website) to use them to explore what's going on (what would happen if....).

6. Cultivating moments of awe. Ask yourself what fills you (or the person you are caring for) with awe, create a list and talk about them. Possibly access them through art, e.g. drawing or writing about the thing that inspires awe.

[Jim Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Anne Basting describes the growth and development of her work using theater activities and creativity with elders and people with dementia. She also offers suggestions on things people can do with elders in their own lives.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thoughtful and proven ideas for connecting with our elders and those with dementia.

[Chloë Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

incredibly moving stories of life and celebration of old age as not something awful but something beautiful. this book is so so so so impactful for anyone who has faced dementia or alzheimers head on. it was particularly resonant for me as a theatre phd who has seen alzheimers work and who is also deeply afraid of death dying and aging. i think the way that basting blends theatre work and technique with elder care as a life saving mechanism is so so smart. it reminds me that the work that I'm doing is similarly life saving and that there are accessible ways to find joy, play, and goodness in the little subsets of this crazy world. it reminds me to continue the pursuit of a life worth living. for that, I am so deeply deeply grateful. i highly recommend this book !

[Marilyn Tseng]

I appreciate the compassion that motivated the author to write this book, as well as her consideration of how to improve care at a structural level. At an individual or personal level, though, the approach seems exhausting if the caregiver is also dealing with conflicting emotions about the relationship and their role. I found the book is useful for perspective but maybe more so if a person is psychologically ready and not burdened or overwhelmed by their caregiving situation.

[Ellyn Lem · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book by Anne Basting that I have read (the first was the accomplished, "Forget Memory"), and even though her focus is on people with dementia, she offers much hope in her endorsement of creativity as a way to reach and connect with people who others might write off as "gone." Basting, a MacArthur Genius Grant winner and a theater professor at UW-Milwaukee, offers a unique combination of personal narrative (her mother's recent diagnosis of Alzheimer's), research, and recommendations on how everyone can develop "creative care"to older individuals, especially those who feel isolated in institutions. The first few chapters include a lot of stories but also teach lessons of how saying "yes and" and asking "beautiful questions" build bridges between people who may have memory impairment. They may not have awareness of certain realities, but they still can and should be engaged by asking, listening, and ideally using their words to share with communities to recognize their ideas matter. Other chapters detail projects that Basting implemented in nursing homes that have found ways to involve staff members, families, and residents at these facilities in remarkable ways, such as taking the "Peter Pan" theme and redoing "Neverland" to Wendy is now in assisted living. Basting is enough of a realist to know that "sustainability" of these creative endeavors are key and having empirical research of the benefits will help bring more partners on board. In the meantime, though, the book is a reminder to keep searching for "awe" and not forgetting the magical potential in everyone until our last breaths.

[Chelsea Alcala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very thought provoking. As a speech pathologist, I enjoyed how the author added real examples on how to use strategies to facilitate communication. My only complaint is that while the author has addressed that efficacy from creative care is hard to measure since a lot of research conducted is relational, all the benefits reported were anecdotal. I wish there were some harder evidence of lasting impact. In grad school, my professors have emphasized the importance of quality of life and implementing FUNCTIONAL treatment rather than using rote tasks, so I was delighted to read the different activities. Though, while I can see that this type of care was meaningful from the reports of the elders, families, staff, and students involved, there isn’t any real data to generalize these findings. I think there must have been a way to quantify what the author was studying. For that I’m giving it 3 stars.

[Feng Ouyang · Rating 2 out of 5]

Drawn to the book due to my role as a dementia caregiver, I was keen to learn about innovative approaches in the field. However, after delving into the first 40% of the book, my enthusiasm was met with disappointment. The book centers around utilizing the arts and creativity-based activities, such as collaborative storytelling, in caring for dementia patients and the elderly at large.

Until reaching the midway point, the author primarily recounts her own experiences with family members, experiences that inspired her venture into elderly care, and broadly discusses theories about creativity. She alludes to an organization or movement she established to propel the "creative care" movement. Yet, the specifics of "creative care", its empirical benefits, and the ways in which an individual caregiver or institution could integrate it remain elusive. This lack of concrete information led to my dwindling interest, and ultimately, I abandoned the book.

[Grace Retzlaff · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is about how dementia progresses, what it can look like, and provides solutions on how to deal with it. I liked this book overall. I think it gave a good perspective on dementia care and how to better deal with it. There wasn't anything about the book that I didn't like. The motif of the book is a person's journey with dementia. It shows us how dementia progresses in people from the author's experience working with those who have dementia. I would read this book again and recommend it to others to read if you're looking for better ways to care for those with dementia.

[Gpritchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly uplifting account of Dr. Basting’s work melding theater and aging to create meaningful engagement, particularly for elders but also for students, artists, caregivers, and other professionals. I was just amazed by her inventiveness, but also her resourcefulness, problem-solving, and determination in realizing her plans. I was inspired throughout. I just wish more care communities would learn about and implement her transformative philosophy!

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting what the author and her organization has accomplished in care facilities and with homebound people but ultimately i was disappointed that for my particular situation, visiting a few people with severe dementia, there weren’t many tips and information on how to have meaningful conversations. My expectations may have been too high when i listened to this book.There is a website but without being a paying member, again, there is limited material.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for books about medicine and the human body. I loved reading this book from the POV of a family member of a loved one with dementia BUT also with someone who loves to help those with dementia.
She provided great perspectives of how we can help people living with dementia and how creative care allows for people to find enjoyment and fulfillment in their lives while suffering from a disease they do not understand they have. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

[Christine Streeter (Scholar Culture) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written book for those in the field of elder care. I loved the story telling aspect in the writing. I also enjoyed the focus on creativity, allowing those in the field to dream big. And the practical "notes for caregivers" at the end of each chapter are quick, easy and super useful tools for caregivers. Highly recommend.

[Emily Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend this book to anyone with an elderly relative/friend, anyone working in long-term care, and the list goes on. I work in long term care and this was so eye opening for me to see the different ways we can help the residents at our facility be able to speak their minds. I notice myself using many of the tips in this book during my work days now!

[Norkett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anne provides so many ways of connecting and engaging with those who are experiencing memory loss. The theatre productions, questions or pictures of the day to try an pull out stories. It was also interesting to learn of all the projects she has worked on in Milwaukee.

[Peggy McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was inspiring and heartening. Since my husband's slide into dementia I have struggled to communicate and see the man inside the fog. I have high hopes for "beautiful questions" to help me see him again. The projects described were lovely.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had read this book while my mother was still alive. I think I could have connected with her in a more meaningful way using ideas from the book. We might have been able to fill her last years with meaning and beauty.

[Erin Matson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Should we give up on people with dementia? No, argues Anne Basting. In this very loving, researched narrative, the author shows that through creativity, questions, and play, elders can and should be engaged. It’s a beautiful concept.

[Persis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspiring but perhaps a bit idealistic. I appreciate the approach that doesn't minimize the value and humanity of the elderly, but it is missing the spiritual plane that is equally important.

[Frances Krumholtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cracked my heart and mind wide open

[Sergio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read, this book amplifies the understanding about dementia and Alzheimer´s disease. Don´t wait to read it.

[Doni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of magical stories, but I wished it had included more how-to pointers for creating your own magical stories.

[Jhoel Centeno · Rating 5 out of 5]

How beautiful was this journey. I thank you for sharing your stories and their stories and the importance of it. My work with elder care is soon beginning and I can’t wait.

[Cheryl]

For the Beautiful Questions, as alluded to in the magazine Psychology Today.

[Lital · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book over a year ago. I was becoming concerned back then about the possibility that one day I would wake up in a world where my mother would not recognize many things we considered usual anymore, or worse. Fortunately, we are not there yet, but as a part of my personal project of reading all the books I own, I decided to read it anyway and I am very happy I did.
I will start by saying that while this book was written for caregivers and families of people with dementia, I believe it can be an excellent read for everyone else too. This book emphasizes the importance of connections and the wonderful things people of all ages can feel and create together when we form deep and meaningful connections. You can feel the empathy and the patience on every page.
I saw other people complaining about the fact that the author keeps bringing examples of her own experiences using creative care, and while in the first few chapters, I can see how they might seem redundant, later the stories serve as perfect examples of each idea that is introduced.

[Lauren Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this.