Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

TimeSlips is based on shifting the emphasis from memory or factual reminiscence to opening and validating the imagination.

We already do storytelling in my facility. How is TimeSlips different?

You might be doing something similar. Double check this list to see if you are:

• Are you doing the storytelling the same each time?
  (creating a ritual process and a special event?)
• Are you accepting and validating every answer?
  Including gestures, sounds, and non-sensical answers?
• Are you asking open ended questions?
• Are you echoing the responses to be sure you’re getting them right?
• Are you having fun?
• Is it working?
• Are you sharing the stories beyond your group?

TimeSlips is developed as a ritual so people with memory loss can learn it through their subconscious or implicit memory. It is based on shifting the emphasis from memory or factual reminiscence to opening and validating the imagination. The effect is the creation of a “laboratory” of sorts, where people who have difficulty with communication can experiment with sounds, gestures, word fragments, and whole sentences; make meaning; and have fun at the same time.

Can people with severe memory loss do this? I don’t think my group is capable…

Yes! Timeslips works best with people in the mid to late stages of memory loss. They are the most open to language experimentation. People in early stages tend to be more eager to capture factual memories. We have run many successful groups made up of people at all stages and abilities. One just needs to remind people that TimeSlips is about the imagination, and to reflect the joy at the base of the process.

Should I write down the names of people who add things to the story?

TimeSlips is a group process. If you write down everyone’s names, it will become a group of individual stories. We tend to write down the names of people who make exceptional comments – either because they rarely talk, or because it was particularly witty or poignant.

I’m a certified facilitator. What does that mean I can do?

You can run storytelling circles and call them TimeSlips. Some people volunteer as facilitators, and others do it as part of their paid work in dementia care. You can “model” TimeSlips for others, but you can not “certify” others. That is reserved for people trained as TimeSlips Trainers.

How do I become a Trainer? I want to train others in my company to do this.

Trainers are always associated with a “base,” which can be a facility or health care company or an organization that offers trainings like a university or a chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Trainers first become certified facilitators, and are required to keep a journal of at least 10 storytelling sessions that they run. Every three years we hold a Train the Trainer Retreat. But we also arrange special trainings to embed TimeSlips in facilities. Contact us if you’re interested in arranging this type of training.

What if storytellers say bad things?

Sometimes storytellers will test you. If you say (and you should) that you’ll “accept anything they say” and weave it into the story, they will challenge you by saying off-color remarks. We suggest two things in this situation.

• Take them seriously and treat them like all other comments. Echo them back and ask the storyteller if they want that added to the story. Many times they will realize you’re serious about this and say “no.” It’s crucial they trust you and trust that they can really say anything. Only then will they truly experiment with communication and imagination.
• Trust the group. They will commonly provide other responses to offset an edgy response. For example, if someone says “they are all going to the bathroom in their pants” (most likely in more colorful language…), you echo it, ask if they want that added to the story, then ask “and what do you think they are doing Nora?”

I care for my husband at home. Can I do this one-on-one?

You can try. TimeSlips is designed as a group activity. So much of the benefit of the process comes from the tremendous feeling of being part of a group that shares in the creative process, and that recognizes and affirms one’s input. That said, we know there is a tremendous need for engaging, meaningful activities for people to do at home with loved ones, or one-on-one when people can’t join a group for some reason.

People do use TimeSlips with just one facilitator and one storyteller. To do this, it’s key to feel part of a group as well – we suggest that you try sharing your stories with your church, school, or friends. You can also use our story of the month page, and send us your stories from home. It’s also crucial to be very flexible. If you feel the storyteller is under too much pressure to come up with an answer, back off a bit. Be playful. Be patient. Be sure to let the storyteller lead the story.

Can I use TimeSlips if it’s just me doing the facilitating?

Yes, but it’s harder. You’ll need to practice lots, and do lots of listening and echoing, and running around the group to be sure you’re getting all the responses. If they don’t feel like you can hear all their answers, they’ll stop talking.

Any staff member can help you – administrators, direct care workers, housekeeping staff, nutritionists, chaplains. If you can’t free up a staff member to help, you might also consider finding a volunteer. This is a wonderful activity for volunteers (clear, fun, and purposeful) – and is often used as a way to recruit and retain volunteers.

Is there research on this method?

Yes. Most recently a 20 nursing home study showed that TimeSlips increased the number of meaningful interactions between staff and residents on the whole unit (not just among those involved directly in the storytelling). Staff attitudes toward people with dementia also improved. 

What other creativity activities work like TimeSlips?

We have been actively seeking out “like-minded” programs for several years. We’ve found Memories in the Making, Dancing Heart, Songwriting Works, DanceWorks’ IMAP. There are many individual approaches to arts therapy. These programs all share several characteristics:

• they can train anyone to do it. You don’t necessarily need to be “credentialed.”
• they are “failure free.”
• they approach the person with dementia primarily an artist who can grow skills, not a patient who is sick.
• they use story and narrative to help the person with dementia communicate who they are to others.
• they share the artistic products in a professional manner, as a way to build community.

Where do you find these images!?

We have a special relationship with Avanti Press. They have generously donated the use of the images you see on our Story of the Month pages. Feel free to use these images for your storytelling. We also find images in greeting cards, calendars, online image banks (like Flickr or the New York Public Library) and magazine ads. If you don’t own the rights, however, be sure to have permission to use the image if you plan to sell it in book or calendar form.