Our elders, especially those experiencing dementia and Alzheimer’s are often isolated in nursing homes or segregated in elder-care settings, making the final years of life feel lonely and devoid of meaning. But what if we could radically change how we interact with our older loved ones?

Anne Basting, artist and author of Creative Care: A Revolutionary Approach to Dementia and Elder Care, hopes to bring about that radical change. She developed an arts and creative approach that combines evidence-based therapies with methods from theater and improvisation, such as “Yes, and . . .” exercises. This approach fosters storytelling and active listening, allowing elders to freely share ideas and stories without worrying about getting the details “correct."

For over 20 years, Basting has researched ways to infuse arts and creativity into care settings. She is a MacArthur Fellow, received an Ashoka Fellowship, a Rockefeller Fellowship, and author of numerous articles and four books.

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