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Jane Mullins

Abstract

Dementia affects a person’s ability to think, communicate, and remember, and affects mood, behavior, and ultimately relationships. Historically, people living with dementia were stigmatized, isolated, and segregated from society as they were viewed through the lens of psychiatry, focusing on loss of mental faculties, social roles, and the fragmentation of the self. But storytelling can help us view people who have dementia in a different light and provide them the opportunities to share their experiences of the world around them despite their difficulties. Multisensory storytelling methods in particular can help people express themselves and communicate what matters most to them, even when they struggle to communicate, as emotions and memories can be stimulated through the senses. This article explores creative ways to help people living with dementia tell their stories through collaboration, exploring common ground, and providing a way to recall fragmented memories. Our coproduced PhD Suitcase of Memories research with people living with dementia and their partners used a multisensory approach to storytelling that resulted in improved language skills and memory and supported a rekindling of their relationships. My experience of multisensory storytelling sparked off ideas that culminated in Finding the Light in Dementia, a training program for families, carers, and professionals that uses their stories to communicate their needs and wants and educates people about what it is like to live with dementia and how we can help the person.

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