By Thomas Baird LCSW, MDiv

In this space, we will regularly be sharing resources that we find may be helpful for caregivers. The content provided is intended for informational purposes only. The materials included do not constitute an endorsement of the authors or their materials by Awkward Story.

​TimeSlips offers training, guidance and resources promoting what they call "Creative Meaningful Engagement." They acknowledge that communication can be difficult for family members, and claim to provide tools and framework to create positive engagement and interaction. This post is certainly not an endorsement or a critique of their program. I am posting this because the primary advertisement below does a fine job at capturing the role of imagination and exploration in our efforts to engage our loved ones with dementia. In my opinion, they correctly identify the barriers that occasionally get in our way when we communicate in a traditional fashion.  Please see the video below, and feel free to explore their website here.

They also provide an example of a creative story telling session which captures the myriad responses one might receive when prompting elderly individuals with pictures.

By Thomas Baird LCSW, MDiv

In this space, we will regularly be sharing resources that may be helpful for caregivers. The content provided is intended for informational purposes only. The materials included do not constitute an endorsement of the authors or their materials by Awkward Story.

The Alzheimer's Poetry Project (APP) was created by Gary Glazner to promote engagement and creativity among individuals with Alzheimer's, through poetry. Please feel free to review some of APP's media below. Like the TimeSlips program, this one promotes expression through creativity and imagination, rather than relying on concrete memories that might not be readily available.

Spoiler Ahead: We recently interviewed Gary Glazner and will be featuring the interview on our podcast in the near future. I started writing this post before we booked the interview, and published it after speaking with Gary.  

In this episode, Maggie and Thomas interview Jason Bloome, founder of Connections Care Home Referrals. Jason started Connections nearly 20 years ago after being inspired by his own personal caregiving experience, with a desire to help low-income families find caregiving options for older adults. Jason discusses how certain policy limitations effect access to assisted-living care for older adults. He specifically discusses the limitations of Medicaid programs in California and how policy changes could potentially make Medicaid money available to individuals seeking assisted living options.