Book review: Creative arts in dementia care

The Creative Arts in Dementia Care

★★★★

Jill Hayes with Sarah Povey

ISBN 9781849050562

£18.99

This book is an excellent reference tool, and aid, to looking at a person with dementia as a whole person and not just someone with physical care needs, says Ian Taylor. There are a wide range of creative ideas discussed and practical examples that will doubtless have managers eager to share them with their team of staff. It will also help care staff to develop their own creativity.

The various examples in the book make for easy reading and, more importantly, easy implementation.

Another positive aspect of this book is that it is very well-referenced so the path to any topics you wish to investigate further is readily available.

Some of the activity ideas may have benefited from the occasional photograph or diagram to back up the concepts and help those that find it easier to learn this way. However, this would be the only criticism one could direct at this book.

The benefits of creative art concepts in learning disability services for people’s self-worth, emotion and sense of being involved are well documented. The musical aspects can be of particular value when working with people experiencing dementia, because a line from a song can evoke many memories and stimulate senses and emotions that have been filed away.

This book would prove an excellent resource for those working in social care and should prove a worthy addition to any professional’s book shelf.

Ian Taylor is a manager of a day centre for older people who present with dementia.

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