Inspiration and Innovation – Dementia and The Creative Arts

*This course has been pre-approved by NCTRC for 5 clock hours.

Creative arts programs must be tailored to the specific and unique abilities for participants diagnosed with dementia. This course will describe, in depth, the various types of dementia, and how to create successful interventions that promote wellness for participants. The outcomes for creative arts interventions is to enhance participants sense of well-being, stimulate the senses and cognition, and promote stress reduction to achieve the highest level of dignity and autonomy thereby improving life satisfaction and quality of life.
Purchase Now! - $60

Course Objectives

  • Learner will demonstrate adequate insight of the various types of dementias

  • Learner will demonstrate adequate insight of how to create interventions to improve client outcomes for this population

  • Learner will demonstrate knowledge of various creative arts interventions to enhance a client's sense of well-being and improve a client's cognitive functioning abilities

Jennifer Heil, M.ED, CTRS

Instructor Bio:

Jennifer Heil, M. ED (psych), CTRS, and Expressive Arts Facilitator (Salve Regina University) has been in the medical and behavioral health field for over twenty five years serving individuals from 1 to 100. She currently serves our Veterans as a fulltime Recreational Therapist and also facilitates community creative arts and wellness workshops. It is with gratitude that Jennifer serves others using a variety of therapeutic interventions such as movement/exercise, music, creative writing, horticulture, humor, social enrichment programs and the expressive arts to support wellness, inclusion and self-expression. It is witnessing the sense of improved well-being, healing and hopefulness that Jennifer is reminded over and over again that meaningful engagement and the arts are fundamental to our existence, connectedness and to our shared humanity. Jennifer lives and works on the east coast. She was honored to be the recipient of the 2006 CT National Organization of Women’s “Elizabeth Blackwell Award" for advancing women’s holistic health. Jennifer is privileged to partner with other healthcare professionals to offer holistic evidenced based treatment options. She believes that this is not an “either or approach.” Rather, it is an important integrative approach to wellness within an optimum healthcare delivery continuum.

Jennifer Heil, M.ed, CTRS

SMART Instructor