A listening case study in dementia

In this short case study Michael Verde, Founder of Memory Bridge, describes his experience of working with Evelyn and the impact of bringing her ‘listening presence’ to those suffering from dementia.

‘I met Evelyn while producing a documentary on listening to people with dementia. We filmed her meeting these people, to see if her gift of listening would be able to cross such a cognitive divide – ten people over two days – alL experiencing different degrees of dementia. Several spoke, most did not.

‘The idea of using music to reach people with dementia is not new. But we were not asking Evelyn to make music, but to use a more powerful bridge: paying attention.

‘Seeing those interactions brought home to me how much healing and listening are the same art. Because the way Evelyn paid attention, those men and women came to trust her. Being listened to like that was healing for them. The change was dramatic, unmistakable and inspiring to all present.’

‘From Evelyn, I learned that real listening takes real courage: the courage to risk leaving the familiar and enter into awkward spaces, to step out of one’s armour and become vulnerable, to take real interest in the life of another person. For over ten hours I watched Evelyn walk into the lives of people who many probably believed were beyond reach. I witnessed how one person can bridge another back to life by listening to them.

Reproduced from Listen World! (London: Balestier, Glennie, 2019)