Preface: How My Desire for Connection Guided Me through the Land of Dementia | p. xi |
Section I Creativity and Imagination Matter | p. 1 |
Chapter 1 Discover the Wonders in the Dementia Jungle | p. 3 |
Look beyond the Thorns | p. 3 |
Sneak Previews | p. 6 |
Outsmart Personal Resistance | p. 8 |
Get Started | p. 10 |
Chapter 2 Make the Most of This Book | p. 11 |
Take a New Look at the Yellow Crayon | p. 11 |
Embrace the Why, How, and Wow | p. 14 |
Section II Meaningful Projects for People Living with Dementia and Their Care Partners | p. 23 |
Chapter 3 Strengthen Communications through Creativity | p. 25 |
Explore New Ways of Connecting | p. 25 |
Join the Dementia Revolution | p. 27 |
Reinvent Favorite Hobbies | p. 32 |
Use Playfulness to Jump-Start Conversations | p. 34 |
Say Yes to Improv | p. 37 |
Spice Up Communications | p. 40 |
Discover the Creativity at the End of the Rainbow | p. 43 |
Chapter 4 Tune In with Music and Memory | p. 47 |
Music Matters | p. 47 |
Fly to the Moon with Music Therapy | p. 49 |
Embrace the Duet of Music and the Brain | p. 51 |
Come Alive with Personal Playlists | p. 55 |
Sing Along and Find Your Voice | p. 60 |
Weave In Rhythm | p. 64 |
Unearth Life's Lyrics | p. 67 |
Encore | p. 72 |
Chapter 5 Add Imagination to Movement | p. 73 |
Explore Creative Movement and Exercise | p. 73 |
Ah-Ha-Ha with Laughter | p. 74 |
Brighten the Brain with Movement Therapy | p. 81 |
Work Wonders with Workouts | p. 85 |
Partner Dancing for a Purpose | p. 88 |
Chapter 6 Cook Up Memorable Moments | p. 93 |
Create Meaningful Moments through Food | p. 93 |
Feed Friendships by Cooking | p. 97 |
Build Brain Power with Culinary Creativity | p. 100 |
A Feast for the Senses | p. 103 |
Nibble on a Few Extras | p. 105 |
Chapter 7 Grow Together through Nature | p. 107 |
Dig into Your Own Natural Resources | p. 107 |
Snuggle Up with the Warm Puppy Solution | p. 109 |
Connect with Chickens and Dogs and Llamas | p. 111 |
Plant Tomatoes and Grow Relationships | p. 114 |
Harvest Happiness through Volunteer Farming | p. 117 |
Think Outside the House | p. 120 |
Go Outdoors and Build Brain Health | p. 123 |
Blossom with Flower Power | p. 130 |
Chapter 8 Engage Imagination with Movies, Puppets, Clowns, and a Dash of Drama | p. 133 |
Fan Your Imagination | p. 133 |
Treat Yourself to a Reel Boost | p. 134 |
Give a Hand with Puppets | p. 138 |
Clown Around for Connection | p. 141 |
Ignite Your Creativity | p. 145 |
Chapter 9 Invite Creativity with Writing, Storytelling, and Poetry | p. 149 |
Discover Your Own Personalized Poetic License | p. 149 |
Prompt Imagination | p. 150 |
Create Stories Together | p. 152 |
Sneak Past the Facts and Connect through Poetry | p. 159 |
Turn Ordinary Life into Extraordinary Poems | p. 163 |
Honor Personal History | p. 167 |
Celebrate Heroes through Storytelling and Scrapbooking | p. 171 |
Chapter 10 Express Yourself through the Arts | p. 175 |
It's Almost like Being in Love | p. 175 |
Open Your Imagination by Looking at Art | p. 178 |
Visit a Gallery and Draw on Memory | p. 183 |
Brush Away Apathy through Painting | p. 186 |
Draw One Line, Then Another | p. 188 |
Bring Imagination into the Picture | p. 193 |
Open Studios Invite Artistic Exploration | p. 199 |
Illustrate Your Life | p. 201 |
Weave In Fabric | p. 205 |
Connect through Collage | p. 208 |
Cut, Paste, and Converse | p. 210 |
Chapter 11 Dive into Playfulness, Games, Fiddling, and Technology | p. 213 |
Play On | p. 213 |
Invite Playfulness | p. 215 |
Dig into Delightfully Destructive Dominoes | p. 219 |
Keep a Pocket Full of Memories | p. 220 |
Forage in a Fiddle Box | p. 225 |
Plug into Technology to Connect | p. 228 |
About Deborah | p. 233 |
Acknowledgments | p. 235 |
About the Contributors | p. 237 |
Resources | p. 253 |
Bibliography | p. 265 |