The Power of Stories

There was an interesting segment on NPR's Morning Edition, earlier this week, on the use of storytelling with Alzheimer's patients. These people could not draw on their own memories, which they had lost, but could make up stories to go with a picture. The storytelling sessions are based on TimeSlips. TimeSlips is

The open, poetic language of improvisational storytelling invites people with dementia to express themselves and connect with others.

There is no reason why the TimeSlips program can't be used with other groups of people, or children, or even your family. Check out the TimeSlips website where you'll find bunches of colorful and interesting photos and images to jumpstart your imagination. Sample stories based on the images, are available, too.

Alzheimer's is a cruel disease that, with the aging American population, we will all come in contact with sooner or later. Learn more about it through books such as Mayo Clinic on Alzheimer's Disease, edited by Ronald Petersen [616.831 PET], or The Forgetting: Alzheimer's, Portrait of an Epidemic by David Shenk [616.831 SHE].

If you know of an Alzheimer's patient, there are many activities that you can do besides storytelling. Look for them in The Best Friends Book of Alzheimer's Activities: 147 Fun, Easy, and Enriching Activities [362.196 BES].