A New Book of Reflections Highlights Bringing Art to Life

Sunday, July 24th, 2022

A new book by Daniel C. Potts, MD, FAAN highlights Bringing Art to Life to celebrate the program’s 10^th anniversary.

Bringing Art to Life (BATL) is a service-learning program developed in memory of Lester E. Potts, Jr. Its primary purpose is to honor and validate persons living with dementia and other cognitive disorders through art therapy, other expressive arts, and storytelling. Additional goals include facilitating the development of intergenerational, multicultural relationships; growing empathy, compassion, knowledge, and self-awareness in students via transformational educational paradigms; lessening stigma; providing respite for care partners; and laying a foundation for the ongoing engagement and enrichment of students, persons living with dementia, and their care partners in the broader community.

The book, Bringing Art to Life: Reflections on Dementia and the Transforming Power of Art and Relationships, published by Resource Publications (an imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers) highlights the story of Alzheimer’s artist, Lester Potts, as the inspiration for developing BATL. It describes the program, including original research showing the program’s effects on growing empathy and reducing dementia-related stigma. The book also discusses the spiritual side of care partnership, including the development of mindfulness, relationships, and self-awareness in creating a culture of compassion. Reflections and poetry about participants in the program are shared, as well. Finally, the author describes his own spiritual transformation and growth as a result of the relationships formed in the program.

Praising the book, Terrence Cascino, MD, past president of the American Academy of Neurology, “applauds Dr. Potts’s extraordinary commitment and dedication to caregivers, students, family, and patients afflicted with dementia. Even as a senior neurologist, I found this book changed my perception of the capabilities of people with dementia. This is a great read for anyone caring for individuals with these disorders.”

Vicki de Klerk-Rubin, executive director of the Validation Training Institute and daughter of Naomi Feil, adds that “Bringing Art to Life is a book of passion; a description not only of magnificent dementia care but also of a man’s journey to finding greater compassion, spirituality, and a deep understanding of what Naomi Feil calls ‘the wisdom of the disoriented old-old.’ … There is much to learn, appreciate, and be inspired by in this book.”

Author, Daniel Potts, adds: “It was a pleasure to get this book together. There has been so much rich content in the program, and I feel honored to share some reflections about the wonderful people with whom we’ve become friends and experiences we’ve had together. I felt an obligation to write, as I am the only one who has been present at every art therapy session offered in our Tuscaloosa iteration of the program for the past decade. I hope these stories will be inspiring to others.”

The book is available in paperback, hard cover, and kindle at the following link:

New Project of Music and Poetry Honors the Love of Care Partners

Sunday, April 3rd, 2022

“Love Is Stronger Than Loss” is a new playlist of 7 songs written by Daniel C. Potts, MD, FAAN honoring the love of care partners and persons living with dementia.

Daniel was introduced by Cheryl Blanchard of Alzheimer’s Tennessee to her son, Brandon Blanchard, a musician and recording professional in Nashville, TN, who provided the recording, mixing, and orchestral arrangements for the project, with Daniel Potts on piano and vocals.

We hope that these songs and the stories behind them will be inspiring to any who are walking the road of care partnership through dementia.

Here is a blog which contains the poetry, the stories behind the songs, and Youtube links for the music:

Love Is Stronger Than Loss

Here is a Youtube playlist of the songs:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTfkuNUdVB502wUvxCtuynKRO_A0byk1h

Daniel C. Potts, MD, FAAN Advocates Via Podcasts and Interviews

Monday, January 10th, 2022

Cognitive Dynamics Founder and President, neurologist Daniel C. Potts, MD, FAAN advocates for persons living with dementia and care partners via a number of podcasts and online interviews, which may be accessed at the following links. These presentations cover topics such as the expressive arts in dementia care, the role of spirituality and faith in dementia care, reminiscence and life story, care partner wellness, the building of empathy in healthcare providers, virtual reality, helping persons with dementia to live well, etc.

Being Patient: The Transformative Power of Art in Dementia Care

Dementia Alliance International: Learnings from Patients

N2 Creative Aging with Angel Duncan

Kentuck Museum: Memory, Forgetting, and Art

The Caregivers, with Lon Kieffer

Dementia Action Alliance: This Dementia Life

Alz Authors: Untangling the Expressive Arts for Dementia Care

Life on Repeat: Pillars of Personhood

Professional Insights

Together in This: The Importance of Dementia-Compassionate Culture

Blog Talk Radion: Understanding Dementia and Alzheimer’s

Long Live The Brains: Who Knew He Was An Artist?

Loving Through Dementia: Dementia Conversations

Cognitive Dynamics Board Members Appear on Podcasts and Interviews

Monday, January 10th, 2022

Members of the Cognitive Dynamics Board of Directors have appeared as featured guests on podcasts and online interviews related to Alzheimer’s, dementia, aging, care giving, expressive arts, person-centered care, eldercare, advocacy, research, spirituality in dementia care, and other topics.

Executive Arts Director Angel C. Duncan, MA, MFT-ATR has appeared on podcasts that may be accessed at this link:

N2CreativeAging

Board Members Lynda Everman and Don Wendorf, PsyD have appeared on podcasts that may be accessed at these links:

Living Fully and Meaningfully

Person-centered Care form UC Irvine

Bringing Spirituality into a Dementia Friendly World

The Power of the Expressive Arts for Persons Living With Dementia

From Advocating for Your Loved One to Advocating for All

Dementia Advocacy and the Stole Ministry : Lynda Everman