On Dementia: Care, Community and Creativity

Conversations of hope, joy, and better ways to care for and support individuals living with dementia and their care partners

More than 5 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease and over 15 million family members, friends and volunteers serve as care partners, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementias do not stop living because of a diagnosis. They are still people—needing and deserving joy, engagement, community, and purpose. Their care partners also benefit from support.

So, how can others help to make an impact, address stigma, and enable people living with dementia to become integral parts of their communities and create opportunities for inclusion?

This spring, the Frye Art Museum Creative Aging Program, Aging Wisdom, and the University of Washington Memory and Brain Wellness Center are collaborating on a three-part series of enriching conversations with pioneers in dementia care, support, community building, creative engagement, and artistic exploration.

Each dementia care expert is also an author of engaging books that challenge, even disrupt, our assumptions about dementia, providing new perspectives and a deeper understanding of care, community, and creativity. Their books also offer practical suggestions on how to implement what they have put into evidence-based practice in support of individuals living with dementia, their care partners, and those who support them.

Author discussions will be offered as virtual programs through Zoom. The series is listed below. Pre-registration is required. There is no fee. To register, visit the Frye Art Museum at https://fryemuseum.org/program/creative_aging_workshops

  • Each program is scheduled on a Thursday at 12 noon Pacific Time.

March 11, 2021: Lynn Casteel Harper, On Vanishing: Mortality, Dementia, and What It Means to Disappear

Lynn Casteel Harper will expand our understanding of dementia beyond the typical fear-driven and tragedy narrative, On Vanishing provides encouragement and meaningful examples of better ways of caring for, and thinking about, our fellow beings.

April 8, 2021: Susan H. McFadden, Dementia-Friendly Communities: Why We Need Them and How We Can Create Them

Susan H. McFadden, PhD will discuss how intentional, thoughtfully engaged dementia-friendly communities can give people with dementia the opportunity to continue living with purpose, reciprocal personal relationships, and enrichment.

May 13, 2021: Anne Basting, Creative Care: A Revolutionary Approach to Dementia and Elder Care

Anne Basting, PhD is a MacArthur Genius Grant recipient who pioneers a radical change in how we interact with people who struggle with dementia. Basting’s proven methods use storytelling and active listening to stimulate the brain and awaken imagination.

About the Author: Keri Pollock directs marketing and communications for Aging Wisdom, an Aging Life Care practice based in Seattle, WA. She serves on the Frye Art Museum’s Creative Aging Advisory Committee as well as the Aging Life Care Association’s PR Committee.

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