Abstract

Even in the later stages of the disease, when memory, words and relationships are affected, it is possible for people with dementia to express emotions, imagination, humour, sensitivities and personal preferences. This book demonstrates the many ways in which puppetry and associated art forms such as singing and story-telling can be used in a person-centred way to create opportunities for these human responses to emerge.

The author describes different scenarios in which puppetry can help facilitate connections, including in response to changes in relationships, communicating when words fail and in times of distress or conflict. She explains how puppets can be used to stimulate memories, celebrate life achievements and promote self-esteem and confidence, as well as with those nearing the end of life as part of palliative care. Strategies for introducing puppetry and other forms of creative stimulation into daily care are suggested, and real examples are used to illustrate how creativity may benefit the person with dementia beyond the immediate session. Step-by-step instructions for making a variety of puppets are also included.

This thought-provoking book will be a source of inspiration and practical ideas for care staff and activity coordinators, creative arts therapists, occupational therapists, puppeteers and other artists working in care settings, as well as relatives of people with dementia looking for new ways to connect with their loved ones.

The puppet is a tool - a weapon to transform the subconscious, to stir the emotions and to re-connect our memory. I understand this concept, and as Karrie discusses, it really works. I have worked all my life in using the puppet to break down barriers and get messages across to the public throughout the world. Be it with AIDS education, democracy and corruption education or creativity and communication in schools, universities or the corporate world, the results are always the same. The puppet or inanimate object has an innate power to communicate on a "soul level". A simple movement by an inanimate object fascinates us and can move us to tears without necessarily saying a word. Karrie puts it very aptly: we connect in the moment of 'now'.
Gary Friedman, Gary Friedman Productions, CEO Corporate Creatures, and editor of www.puppetrynews.com
Triumph over adversity is something that is often praised, but this book shows us how to get so much more. Creating joy where there was despair is something so powerful as to seem miraculous. Karrie Marshall shows us the great value of using puppetry in care settings to achieve just that and then gives us the tools to do it for ourselves. Powerful, inspiring and empowering.
Keith Walker, Policy Officer - Health Improvement, Highland Council, Choose Life Highland Coordinator
Karrie Marshall has a background in nursing and person-centred counselling. She managed a care home for people with profound and complex needs, and worked for ten years as a lecturer in health and social care at Inverness College. In 2011 she founded the social enterprise Creativity in Care (www.creativityincare.org), which promotes inclusive and joyful work in care settings and in the community for people living with dementia and people who use mental health and learning disability services. Karrie lives in Inverness, Scotland.
Calmly and lucidly, Karrie Marshall tells extraordinary stories of the positive impact which just one art form - puppetry - can have in one crucial and highly emotive field of healthcare: dementia. In doing so she also reminds us that we've not yet grasped the full power of the arts to change lives.
Robert Livingstone, Director of HI~Arts, promoting the arts in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland
Her book is about ways of enriching and enhancing the lives of people with dementia. As a result it is not just about puppets, but about ways of engaging people using music, storytelling and reminiscence... Life should be more than routine and Puppetry in Dementia Care demonstrates that a little imagination can provide a wealth of ideas for care staff, occupational therapists, storytellers and for the friends and family of people with dementia to connect and engage.
F & F (Facts and Fiction)
With her innovative, creative approach, founded on years of experience, mixed with compassion, humour and boundless enthusiasm, Karrie builds beautiful bridges of hope, empowerment and inspiration for clients, relatives and staff alike.
Jo Munroe, Project Worker (social care)
This book provides an excellent justification for the use of art, and more specifically puppetry, as a way of connecting with people with dementia who might otherwise have difficulties maintaining social interaction. Karrie Marshall has obviously researched her subject thoroughly and this book will be of use to anyone who has contact with people with dementia whether they are activity coordinators in care homes, formal carers or relatives. It seeks to introduce novel ways of enhancing the quality of life for people with dementia, at whatever stage they are in the condition.
Dr Samantha Murphy, lecturer and Chair of the Open University module on Death and Dying, and module author on forthcoming Open University module on Dementia Care
Laced with informative, sensitive material relevant to those in the fields of health and social care, puppetry, creative arts, or simply those caring for someone with dementia, Marshall's book is a truly valuable contribution to the growing body of research suggesting that puppets are a key tool for accessing the emotions, imagination and sub-conscious of individuals facing a wide range of psychological barriers, including dementia. Above all, it is the personal accounts Marshall uses to frame each chapter which lend the book its gravity - descriptions of the huge milestones reached through puppet interventions: a non-verbal person with dementia exchanging words with a puppet; an unresponsive, disinterested individual finally interacting with the outside world through the use of animated silks; a usually hostile individual enjoying the sensation of stroking an animal puppet. They are small moments, but deeply significant ones, made possible "...in the world of puppetry, where there is no pressure to remember anyone."
Puppeteers UK