Anne Basting

How to meaningfully reconnect with those who have dementia

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About Anne Basting

Anne Basting is transforming human lives by focusing on infusing the arts and humanities into care settings dedicated to people with cognitive disabilities like dementia. As a scholar and an artist, Anne’s innovative work has been recognized by a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship, an Ashoka Fellowship, a Rockefeller Fellowship, and multiple major grants. She is the author/editor of multiple books, including the Penelope Project (U of Iowa), Forget Memory (Johns Hopkins), and the forthcoming Creative Care (Harper One). Anne is Professor of Theatre at the Peck School of the Arts at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, and founder and President of TimeSlips, which is dedicated to fostering an alliance of artists and caregivers bringing meaning and joy to late life through creativity. TimeSlips has certified facilitators in 47 states and 18 countries.

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About This Talk

Thirty years ago, Creative Gerontologist Anne Basting experienced a moment in time that would change the course of her life forever. Since then, she has been on a journey of inviting patients with cognitive disabilities into creative expression. By making way for what Anne calls “Beautiful Questions”, we can invite another person into a shared world of discovery, shift away from the expectation of memory, and move toward the freedom of imagination.

Anne believes that bringing creative care to scale – embedded within care systems – could ease so much pain. Could we really do it? Watch Anne’s Talk "How to meaningfully reconnect with those who have dementia" to learn how she brings together artists, staff, and elders to reimagine stories and create beauty and meaning – together.

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