Evaluating the Benefits of the TimeSlips Creative Storytelling Program for Persons With Varying Degrees of Dementia Severity

Objectives: To evaluate the benefits of TimeSlips, a group creative storytelling intervention used in residential care settings, on quality of life (QOL), interactions with caregivers, and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores for persons with varying degrees of dementia severity. Design: A mixed-methods approach was used weekly over a 6-month period to measure QOL and resident–caregiver relationships. Setting: A dementia care unit in Pennsylvania. Participants: Twenty-two residents with mild-to-severe dementia. Measurements: Dementia severity and QOL were assessed using the MMSE and Greater Cincinnati Chapter Well-Being Observational Tool. Resident–caregiver interactions were analyzed using a modified version of the Quality of Interactions Schedule. Semistructured interviews were conducted upon the study’s conclusion. Results: Quantitatively, participants initially classified with mild–moderate dementia were significantly more likely to experience positive benefits compared to those initially classified with severe dementia. There were no significant changes in dementia severity over time. There was also no change in QOL or resident–caregiver relationships for those with mild–moderate dementia over time, although there was a decrease in certain measures of QOL and resident–caregiver relationships for those with severe dementia. Qualitative analysis identified consistent benefits for residents with both mild–moderate and severe dementia over time. Conclusions: Mixed-methods analyses helped identify benefits of TimeSlips for persons at all levels of dementia severity, but particularly for those with milder dementia. Such an observation helps demonstrate how arts-based programs like TimeSlips can uniquely benefit people with advanced memory impairments and thereby support QOL.