Dramatherapy with Elders and People with Dementia

Dramatherapy with Elders and People with Dementia illuminates how targeted sessions of dramatherapy can improve the quality of life of elderly people with dementia.
The book takes the reader through the dramatherapy experience of a group of people who display a 'feeling intelligence'; a quality that softens distress at vanishing words and clouded memories. Unique in its approach, not only to dramatherapy with elders and people with dementia, it presents an essential validation of older people's life stage development.
Rather than being different or 'other', Jaaniste paints word pictures to show human qualities such people have in common with their dementia-free contemporaries. Readers will glean insights into the arts therapies, especially creative drama, meeting examples of elder wisdom, wit and resilience in dealing with life, but especially grief, loss, and deep questions that come with ageing.
Enriched with vignettes and anecdotes based on rigorous research and measurement, the book will be suitable for adaptation by arts therapists and other allied health professionals who are interested in using person-centred, strengths-based approaches.

Joanna Jaaniste, PhD, has 30 years' experience as a dramatherapist. She has co-created a graduate diploma in dramatherapy and has taught extensively on the MA Art Therapy course at Western Sydney University, Australia.

Foreword: Caroline Miller; 1. Life stages and transitions; 2. What is it like to have dementia?; 3. What is dramatherapy?; 4. Dramatherapy, dementia and quality of life: a research project; 5. Intelligence of feeling and dramatherapy; 6. The ethical debate about technology and artificial intelligence; 7. Trauma and intersubjectivity in dementia; 8. Grief and loss in old age; 9. The mystery of death; 10. Assessment and evaluation; 11. Conclusion; Afterword: Sue Jennings