‘The body does not forgetDMP in dementia care’
Setting a new pattern of
possibilities while building
bridges of understanding
in and through the ‘lived’
body…
‘Hands’ by Rodin
The Territory
Living to the full
Independently
and
Interdependently
De Kooning, Untitled
The Problem ?
Dementia Syndrome
(Main)
Alzheimer’s Type Vascular Type Lewy-Body

Essentially about living with disability
e.g. Memory loss, Communication difficulties,
Behaviour problems, Social isolation,
impaired cognition +
“I am living with dementia, I am
not dying of dementia’
Peter Ashley
Alzheimer’s Society Ambassador
My main message
The body does not forget (except perhaps in
end stage) therefore go by way of the body if
cognition is impaired

What does that mean?
Focusing on embodied practices including
movement and dance because

We are working with remaining potential

Dementia closely associated with stasis
“Being Slow” “Being Lost” “Being a Blank”
A Phinney (2003) ‘The Lived body in dementia’
Movement and the experience of
the body moving are at the core
of our life’s experience of being
‘in’ and ‘connected to’ our world
Building Bridges between…
Soma
Psyche
Sense
Non-sense
Known
Not-yet-known
Thinking
Meaningless
‘Bridge of Sighs’ Venice
Feeling
Meaningful
Helping
release that
which remains
(ADL)

Life-Story
(POAL)
Respect &
Trust & Fun

Finding
“ways in”
The triggers
Examples
Body (person) in
Relationship
‘Embodied Selfhood’
Kontos

Working with
Metaphor &
Symbolism

Movement Music
Dance Song
Reminiscence
Understanding
‘difference’ &
otherness’
‘Sense of
adventure’
Dance Movement Psychotherapy
• ‘Hybrid of art of dance & science of psychology
adapted to human service’ (Goodill, 2005)
•Embodied / phenomenological / bio-psychosocial
•Used as treatment in remedial rather than curative
sense
•Focus on residual capacity rather than disability
•Supports improvisatory nature of person’s
response to condition
•Offers important skills & techniques for supporting
‘Personhood’ & new possibilities for caring
‘In psychotherapy old wounds are
healed, hidden conflicts resolved,
and unfulfilled potential brought
out. Hence life becomes more
satisfying, secure and productive.’
(Kitwood, 1990:43)
DMP Skills & Techniques
1. Helping locate the triggers – ‘ways in to
furthering relationship’ (Therapeutic
Movement Relationship)
2. Body action
3. Using Reciprocity (Mirroring)
4. Rhythmic group activity
5. Repetition & Validation
6. Re-membering (‘Personhood’)
7. Working with Metaphor & Symbolism
Identifying ways to connect
•‘Creatively Alert’ (Coaten)
•‘Poetic Awareness’ (Kitwood)
•‘High Quality Free Floating Attention’ (Kitwood)
•‘Selfhood as…embodied dimension of human
existence’ (Kontos) therefore go by way of the body
where cognition is impaired
•Working with embodied/non-verbal + cognitive
•Accepting ‘Otherness’ & ‘Difference’ as unique to
person rather than exception
Benefits of the work
• Person with dementia helped to come to
terms with the condition
• Same for carer & family & circle
• Movement relationship means continual
adaptation to changing needs, behaviours,
communications as condition progresses
• ‘Movement as life’ (‘embodied selfhood’) is
well supported
• Help with developing coping strategies
Warm-up / Beginning
• Welcoming participants (music)
• Checking hands (temperature)
• Hand-washing
• Reaching/tapping/stretching/stroking
• Opening up the body - all senses
• Names & shapes
• Moving together in a circle
Development Ideas / Middle
• Follow-my-Leader Dance
• Passing shapes/movements around circle
• Elastic circle
• Use a theme
• Rhythmic movement & dance
• Movement/dance improvisation/movt. conversations
• Use of objects supporting recovery of memories
• Work towards a sharing / celebration
Closure Ideas / End
• Passing a hand-squeeze around circle
• Shoulder massage (given by staff)
• Singing a song to close
• Hand-massage (hand-cream?)
• Asking what people enjoyed the most?
• Identifying music/ideas for next time
• Thanking everyone for coming
Props / Resources
• CD player / Laptop
• CDs or I tunes selection
Slide 9(wide variety)
• 1940s Big Band/ World Music/Dance Music
• Wide selection of props (scarves/elastic/hats/musical
Instruments/cloths/chinese ribbon sticks)
• A bag to store the props in
Reminders:
• GIVE PRAISE
• IMPORTANCE OF REPETITION
• SUPPORT INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS
• DEVELOP A FLOW BETWEEN ACTIVITIES
• HAVE FUN / PLAYFUL / CHILDLIKE
• WORK IN PAIRS NOT SOLO
• USE LIFE-STORY TO INFORM WORK
• PLAN, PREPARE & DE-BRIEF / REVIEW WELL
Finally…
The fragility of life and living processes
are intimately bound up with the beauty
of the body in movement. The dance
helps bring us back from ‘Being lost’,
‘Being a blank’ and ‘Being slow’,
celebrating life to the full; appreciating
the riches of our deep and abiding
humanity, in spite of great loss and
great fragility. How to encourage
‘Rementing’ is therefore the real
challenge that the dementing condition
presents us with.