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The science behind laughter shows it is one of the best medicines for memory care providers to use
Sherri Friend, CEO Oakwood Creative Care™ in Mesa, Arizona, has long recognized the importance of creating opportunities for participants in their program to learn, laugh and create. Science has caught up to her theories, and there is more and more data supporting the...
Creative expression is essential to well-being throughout all stages of our lives
Expressing ourselves is a critical part of a meaningful life. We can draw from the past, be in the present, and look toward the future. For people living with dementia, it is often difficult to keep the parts and pieces connected. Also, it is difficult for many...
Actively creating and learning benefits older adults by increasing their self-confidence and self-worth
Born in 1860, Grandma Moses grew up on a farm in upstate New York, married, and moved to a Virginia farm where she raised five children. She did not start painting until she was 77 years old. Arthritis prevented her from doing needlework any longer and she was looking...
Research shows creative and engaging activities promote physical and mental well-being among those with dementia
Our team at EngAGE EnCOURAGE™ believes that good programming begins with the concepts of learning, laughing, and creating. National and international studies continue to reveal and support the importance of moving away from “institutional or child-like activities”...
Rosie the Riveter
What is so fascinating and fun about Rosie the Riveter? Her nails were painted bright red, and her hair was tucked underneath a colorful scarf. Her image became an iconic representation of women in the workforce. Did you think Rosie had any secrets to her success? You...
The Three Gifts of Learning
During class, we laughed along with Lucy and Ethel, sang along with Elvis, and recalled the drive-in movie theaters and snack shops where those pesky teenagers gathered with their friends. We recently led a lifelong learning course about the 1950s for a...
The Power of Short Stories
Comfort and Familiarity, Who Knew? We certainly had no idea when we began introducing short stories into our Lifelong Learning program of the power contained within ten short pages. Is it the pleasant and often theatrical sound of the reader’s voice or the sense of...
Connecting the Old with the New
Think about this: what would happen if persons living with dementia were offered an age-appropriate program that enables them to associate their past lives with the present? We know that many older adults have led wonderful and full lives. Blending Lifelong Learning...
Lifelong Learning = Positive Experiences
“Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.” John Adams, President of the United States. While I would never describe an “old mind” as an “old horse,” I think we all understand what President Adams had in mind when...
Even with memory loss, a person with dementia maintains strong memories from periods of their past
The title of this blog is from an article that appears on the Alzheimer’s Association website as a recommendation for caregivers who are looking for ways to enrich the lives of those for whom they care. Building on memories from their past, what they know, and what...
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