Anne Basting
Forget Memory, Try Imagination!
For three decades, Anne has unleashed innate creativity in seniors, their families and caregivers, and nursing home staff. When memory fades, what survives is imagination, a creative force so powerful that it can break isolation, reconfigure relationships, bring joy. Don’t remember my name? No problem, please give me a new one. Just as it redefines communication, imagination also trains everyone in situations of care to discover strength, rather than focus on loss.Bonds of love, trust, and dignity can be sustained through shared creativity just as well as shared memory. Creativity is therefore a fundamental skill both for individuals and for institutions. Anne’s methods are in use in all 50 U.S. states, and twenty countries.
Impact
Scientific studies confirm that TimeSlips' approach leads to significant improvements in cognitive function, quality-of-life, depression degree, communication ability, and emotion status
Improves attitudes towards aging and dementia among family members, elders, nursing staff and caregivers.
54,000 elders served
80 Creativity Communities of Care in 21 countries
Interesting fact from Anne:
"It’s been shown that those who internalize negative ideas about aging live 7.5 fewer years than those with positive attitudes. So, it is a health and longevity issue for everyone, even young people."
