Storytelling soothes seniors with dementia
>>> november is national alzheimer's awareness month, and one of the most frustrates element of that disease is dementia. they're looking to keep the lines of communication open. here's contributing correspondent jenna bush hager .
>> jumping jack plays rock 'n roll, gospel and soul. sam has a hot date and needs a bath. who should we say this is?
>> elizabeth .
>> elizabeth .
>> this is elizabeth around. she's greek.
>> lelizabeth doesn't exist except in these people's imaginations.
>> tell me about her personal life .
>> she has two children named bill and stallally.
>> she looks too happy to have kids.
>> in the early to middle stages of dementia they're building a story. their productivity comes from not that they can remember but imagine. it's part-ti of a program called time save.
>> the theory of improv is you say yes, and. so you keep going. you accept anything given to you.
>> her background is in theater. she worked with dementia with acting. it was a dead end . i tore a picture out of the mall borrow man out of a magazine and said let's make things up. this group just blossomed.
>> she encourages them to participate with the tools they have, namely their imagination. a single photo inspires a brainstorm of surprising twists and turns.
>> what do you think she hears? what kind of sounds does she hear?
>> joy.
>> joy.
>> what does joy sound like?
>> he's one of the most learned individuals i've ever known. he could converse with anyone on any subject.
>> chuck marks' father, harvey, was a teacher for 23 years. today he can't remember what he did 10 minutes ago.
>> it is tough. i miss the man he was, but i'm graced with the person he is now. this is who he is, and urn, we're still together.
>> people with dementia get cut off from each other, from themselves and from each other. the imagination is that pathway to reach each other again, to reach themselves and to reach the world around them and the people they love.
>> how are you doing today?
>> since 1996 they've trained over 2,000 people. now it has a website available for all.
>> so that picture of that beautiful woman, you used to see women like that?
>> oh, boy.
>> quite the womanizer?
>> i'm a lady's man.
>> it was great seeing the creative juices flowing with him and the humor. it reminded me of his teaching days.
>> in a situation that focuses so much on what is no longer possible, it delivers a reminder of what is. a storyteller is a meaningful role we all understand. people can explain it and find strength in it and people around them in their lives around them understand it and can engage with them on those terms.
>> thank you, everybody.
>> for nbc news, jenna bush hager , milwaukee, wisconsin.
