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Say 'Yes, And': Improv Skills Aid Dementia Caregivers
6 Mar
Summary
- Improv techniques teach caregivers to accept and build on dementia patients' realities.
- The 'Yes, and...' principle helps reduce agitation by validating emotions.
- Researchers aim to integrate this empathy training worldwide.
Future caregivers are engaging in unique training at Georgia State University's Gerontology Institute, utilizing improvisational theater techniques. The program, a collaboration with Emory University researchers, equips students with skills to communicate more effectively with individuals experiencing dementia.
Led by educator Amanda Lee Williams, the workshops teach the improv principle of 'Yes, and...' This involves accepting and building upon a person's reality, rather than correcting them. Such methods help caregivers respond with empathy to mistaken beliefs or hallucinations, thereby decreasing fear and agitation.
Williams' personal experience caring for her father with Parkinson's highlighted the profound positive impact of these techniques. Researchers Ted Johnson and Candace Kemp are co-leading the initiative, aiming to eventually integrate this training into global caregiving education programs. The core message is that while memory may fade, the ability to connect does not have to.
