Playfulness and Dementia

John Killick has worked with people with dementia for over 16 years, in care homes, day centres, hospital wards and in their own homes. He is known internationally for his pioneering poetry work, but has also explored the possibilities of using a variety of other art forms to enhance communication. He is passionately committed to providing opportunities for people with dementia everywhere to take part in creative activities, and has lectured, written, broadcast and run training sessions on the subject in a number of different countries. He is currently Writer in Residence for Alzheimer Scotland and runs an improvised drama group for the Scottish Dementia Working Group. He is the co-author of Creativity and Communication in Persons with Dementia, also published by JKP.

• Foreword by Professor Murna Downs. Introduction. Part I. 1. What do we Mean by Playfulness? 2. To Play or Not to Play? 3. What People are Already Doing. 4. Bringing Play to the Person. 5. Funshops: Portrait of a Project. 6. The Dementia Monologues. 7. Home-made Humour. 8. Playfulness in the Moment. 9. Even a Few Scribbles. Sarah Zoutewelle Morris. 10. Taking the Senses for a Walk. Part II. 11. A Licence to be Free. Agnes Houston. 12. The Moment 'Me' Returned. Edward McLachlan. 13. Play the Game. Robin Lang. 14. Your Hat's Squint - Nicola Hodge. 15. Beyond Right and Wrong. Ian Cameron. References. Further Reading. Index.

This recently published guide is not a technical/scientific book and it is not about giving fixed instructions. Rather, it is a collection of inspirational stories. It is about bringing humour into people's lives... In my opinion, every facility should have a copy of this book. It gives joy, inspiration and ideas for play. It affirms the valuable role and place for play in lifting everybody's spirit on a difficult journey. It sprinkles the path with smiles. Reading this book was a joy for me. I would recommend John's book to everyone involved in dementia care.