Sharing Stories... TimeSlips

I recently became inspired by the writings of Gene D. Cohen. In his book The Creative Age he speaks about the growing potential within us all as we reach the later stages of our lives, in fact he observes that our potential for growth and creativity increases as we age as opposed to the general thinking of it peaking as we reach maturity and then decreasing as we grow older. We are all rich in our experiences and complex in our emotions, we move through the different chapters of our lives creating the story of us, so it’s seems reasonable to agree that by a certain point in time we have become a type of super hero … we have a wealth of knowledge and experience, although we might be slower in our actions and cautious in our delivery…we know and we continue to grow.

The condition of dementia changes the structure and function of the brain, it changes the abilities and behaviour of the person living with it. Each person will experience these changes differently; it’s somewhat ironic that such a condition which alters someone so dramatically can expose their true individuality.

At this point in time there is no known cure for dementia, but I firmly believe that with enough support, encouragement, interest and faith we can harness the potential someone living with dementia still possesses…we can enhance well being, self esteem, confidence and language… there is still more to come.

“TimeSlips improves the well being of elders by infusing creativity into care relationships and care systems”

Image courtesy of TimeSlips/Alzheimer’s Society Coventry 2016

Melanie Valenti is a qualified TimeSlips facilitator