Creative Arts in Dementia Care

Jill Hayes was awarded her PhD in Dance Movement Psychotherapy by the University of Hertfordshire in 2004. Prior to this, she did her postgraduate professional training as a dance movement psychotherapist at the Laban Centre in London, and studied the Tamalpa Life/Art Process with the Halprins at the Tamalpa Institute, California, where she graduated in movement-based expressive arts therapy. Jill worked as an expressive arts and dance movement psychotherapist in private practice and as a senior lecturer in counselling and dance at the University of Chichester, UK. Sarah Povey has been singing all her life, with church, school, college and community choirs. Fascinated by the healing aspects of the voice, she was attracted to a course developed by Paul Newham and trained as a voice movement therapy practitioner with him, qualifying in 1999. Since then Sarah has been further enhancing her skills and expertise working with older people, both with and without dementia, and with people with learning difficulties. She currently works in care homes across West Sussex and Hampshire.

• Acknowledgements. Foreword by Shaun McNiff. Introduction. 1. Creativity: An Essential Energy. 2. Meditation and the Body: Depth Connection. 3. Singing: The Song of Our Hearts. 4. Moving: The Dances of Our Spirit. 5. Story: The Inner Text of Our Lives. 6. Group Case Studies: People with Dementia and Their Families. 7. Group Case Studies: People with Dementia and Their Staff. 8. Conclusion. The Author. The Contributors. Literature References. Music References. Television and Film References. Subject Index. Author Index.

This is an engaging and informative book intended to be used as a guide to the value and potential of the creative arts as therapy in dementia care... Using case studies to inform along with activities to put method into practice, this book would be suitable for anyone wishing to gain constructive advice on a creative approach to dementia care.