Abstract
During the last two decades we have witnessed extensive change in the perception of dementia care. This change has been rooted in the ideas of Kitwood (2007), which were later conceptualized as the ‘person centered dementia care approach’ (Woods, 1999). Kitwood advocated to stop focusing on the illness and on the tendency to depersonalize and disempower people with dementia, adopting instead a positive attitude that takes into account each person’s individuality and uniqueness, including his or her life story and current coping resources (Bryden, 2002). Kitwood laid the foundation for a revolution in dementia care, creating a shift from the medical model to the psychosocial model of practice (Knocker, 2001). The ‘person centered dementia care approach’ seeks to illuminate the person's capabilities and preserved abilities instead of their difficulties and losses; it encourages the expression of individuality in a social context as opposed to the common tendency to withdraw (Bryden, 2002). This conceptual change reinforced the use of creative methods for helping people with dementia and their caregivers. Research about the correlation between aging and creativity (Baird, 1996; Cohen, 2001, 2006) and the particular contribution of creativity to older people with dementia (Gross et al., 2015; Killick, 2013; Marshall, 2013; Schweitzer & Bruce, 2008), support the use of creative arts therapies as an effective, fulfilling, and valuable tool with this population.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aldridge, D. (2000). Overture: It’s not what you do but the way you do it. In D. Aldridge (Ed.), Music therapy in dementia care (pp. 9–32). London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Bailey, S. (2009). Performance in drama therapy. In D. Johnson & R. Emunah (Eds.), Current approaches in drama therapy (pp. 374–389). Springfield, IL: C. C. Thomas.
Baird, C. M. (1996). Creative aging: A meaning-making perspective. New York: Norton.
Bryden, C. (2002). A person-centred approach to counselling, psychotherapy and rehabilitation of people diagnosed with dementia in the early stages. Dementia, 1(2), 141–156.
Butler, N. R. (1963). The life review: An interpretation of reminiscence in old age. Psychiatry Journal for the Study of Interpersonal Processes, 26, 65–76.
Cohen, G. D. (2001). The creative age: Awakening human potential in the second half of life. New York: Quill.
Cohen, G. D. (2006). Research on creativity and aging: The positive impact of the arts on health and illness. Generations, 30(1), 7–15.
Dassa, A., & Amir, D. (2014). The role of singing familiar songs in encouraging conversation among people with middle to late stage Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of Music Therapy, 51(2), 131–153.
Draper, B. (2004). Dealing with dementia: A guide to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Crow’s Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Emunah, R. (1994). Acting for real: Drama therapy process, technique, and performance. New York and London: Brunner-Mazel; Routledge.
Emunah, R. (2015). Self-revelatory performance: A form of drama therapy and theatre. Drama Therapy Review, 1(1), 71–85.
Emunah, R., & Johnson, D. (1983). The impact of theatrical performance on the self-images of psychiatric patients. Arts in Psychotherapy, 10, 233–239.
Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity, youth and crisis. New York: W.W. Norton.
Fox, J. (1994). Acts of service: spontaneity, commitment, tradition in the non-scripted theatre. New York: Tusitala Press.
Gay, H., & Perlstein, S. (2008). Creativity matters: Arts and aging in America. Monograph: Americans for the Arts. September, Retrieved July 29, 2015, from https://www.giarts.org/sites/default/files/Monograph_Creativity-Matters-Arts-and-Aging-in-America.pdf
Goffman, E. (1959). The presentation of self in everyday life. New York: Anchor Books Doubleday.
Gross, S. M., Danilova, D., Vandehey, M. A., & Diekhoff, G. M. (2015). Creativity and dementia: Does artistic activity affect well-being beyond the art class? Dementia, 14(1), 27–46.
Haight, B., & Gibson, F. (2005). Introduction. In B. Haight & F. Gibson (Eds.), Working with older adults: Group process and techniques (pp. 3–5). Mississauga and London: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Holstein, J. A., & Gubrium, J. F. (2000). Constructing the life course (2nd ed.). New York: General Hall.
Johnson, D. R. (1986). The developmental method in drama therapy: Group treatment with elderly. Arts in Psychotherapy, 13, 17–33.
Kenyon, G., Bohlmeijer, E., & Randall, W. L. (2011). Preface. In G. Kenyon, E. Bohlmeijer, & W. L. Randall (Eds.), Storying later life: Issues, investigations and interventions in narrative gerontology (pp. xiii–xviii). New York: Oxford University Press.
Killick, J. (2013). Playfulness and dementia: A practice guide. London: Jessica Kingsley Publications.
Kitwood, T. (2007). Tom Kitwood on dementia—A reader and critical commentary. C. Baldwin & A. Capstick (Eds.). New York: Open University Press.
Knocker, S. (2001). A meeting of worlds: Play and metaphor in dementia care and dramatherapy. Dramatherapy, 23(2), 4–9.
Kuntz, J. A. (2007). The life story matrix. In J. A. Kuntz & F. G. Soltys (Eds.), Transformational reminiscence: Life story work (pp. 1–16). New York: Springer.
Landy, R. (2009). Role theory and the role method of drama therapy. In D. Johnson & R. Emunah (Eds.), Current approaches in drama therapy (pp. 65–88). Springfield, IL: C. C. Thomas.
Landy, R., & Montgomery, D. T. (2012). Theatre for change: Education, social action and therapy. London and New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Langley, D. (1987). Dramatherapy with elderly people. In S. Jennings (Ed.), Dramatherapy: Theory and practice for teachers and clinicians (pp. 233–256). London: Jessica Kingsley.
MacKay, B. (1996). Brief drama therapy and the collective creation. In A. Gersie (Ed.), Dramatic approaches to brief therapy (pp. 161–174). London: Jessica Kingsley Publications.
Marshall, K. (2013). Puppetry in dementia care: Connecting through creativity and joy. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
McAdams, D. P. (1996). Narrating the self in adulthood. In E. Birren, G. M. Kenyon, J. E. Ruth, J. J. F. Schroots, & T. Svensson (Eds.), Aging and biography: Explorations in adult development (pp. 131–148). New York: Springer.
Mitchell, S. (1994). The theatre of self-expression: A ‘therapeutic theatre’ model of drama therapy. In S. Jennings, A. Cattanach, S. Mitchell, A. Chesner, & B. Meldrum (Eds.), The handbook of drama therapy (pp. 41–57). London: Routledge.
Myerhoff, B. (1978). Number our days. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Pendzik, S. (2008). Dramatic resonances: A technique of intervention in drama therapy, supervision, and training. Arts in Psychotherapy, 35, 217–223.
Sajnani, N. (2012). The implicated witness: Towards relational aesthetic in dramatherapy. Dramatherapy, 34(1), 6–21.
Salas, J. (1996). Improvising real life: Personal story in playback theatre. New York: Tusitala Press.
Schweitzer, P. (2007). Reminiscence theatre: Making theatre from memories. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Schweitzer, P., & Bruce, E. (2008). Remembering yesterday, caring today – Reminiscence in dementia care. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Snow, S. (2009). Ritual/theatre/therapy. In D. Johnson & R. Emunah (Eds.), Current approaches in drama therapy (2nd ed., pp. 44–117). Springfield, IL: C.C. Thomas.
Snow, S., D’Amico, M., & Tanguay, D. (2003). Therapeutic theatre and well-being. Arts in Psychotherapy, 30(2), 73–82.
Winnicott, D. W. (1971). Playing and reality. London: Tavistock.
Woods, B. (1999). The person in dementia care. Generations, 23(3), 35–39.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2016 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Harel, D. (2016). Autobiographical Therapeutic Theatre with Older People with Dementia. In: Pendzik, S., Emunah, R., Read Johnson, D. (eds) The Self in Performance. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-53593-1_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-53593-1_15
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, New York
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-54153-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-53593-1
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)