Creative expression interventions, such as fictional storytelling, could improve the lives of people living with dementia, according to research from the University of Surrey. Between 2020 and 2022, Dr. Stephen Fay led a study in Medellín, Colombia, focusing on creative expression for 70 individuals with dementia.
The unexpected shift online due to the COVID-19 pandemic extended the study from a 10-week pilot to an 18-month creativity and communication lifeline for the participants and their families. This transition also enabled the first-ever evaluation of the online delivery of the storytelling method used (known as TimeSlips), yielding promising results. Dr.
Stephen Fay, lead academic on the project and Lecturer in Spanish at the University of Surrey, said, "Storytelling, especially in a collaborative and creative context, taps into a fundamental human need for connection and expression. Even when memory fades, the ability to create and share stories can remain, offering a profound way to communicate and experience joy." Dr.
Fay found that engagement with the study enhanced quality of life, boosted mood and positive self-perception, and reduced isolation by creating new and strong social bonds—to which the online format was no obstacle. Dr. Fay is now working to bring this research and its positive results back to the U.
K. through his Digital Tools for Wellbeing with Dementia (DoWell) study . In collaboration with the 3 Nations Dementia Working Group (the U.
K.'s leadi.