I have been working with people and different stages of dementia since January 2020 in Care Home settings. When I started telling stories and singing songs I was amazed by the reaction and deep connection it released almost instantly with in the individuals.
I specialise in voice, touch, smell, sound and visual aids to help to honour the spirit within.
Within my telling I am following the guidelines of Namaste Care, which is a structured programme, developed by Joyce Simard in the USA, that integrates compassionate nursing care with individualised activities for people with advanced dementia in a group setting.
When I share stories I always make sure to have a musical element in it as well. Music and songs have a strong link to memories and can evoke feelings and motions, which felt long forgotten.
I also work with adults and children with special needs.
I make sure that storytelling sessions are engaging and fun, yet not overstimulating. It is wonderful to involve audience in your stories, making every tale and telling unique.
Here I also use various sensory items, for example lights to see, soft, singing birds to touch and spices to smell to enhance the tales as well as the overall expierence.
Storyteller 