The How You Are To Me Approach
The How You Are to Me Approach utilizes ecopsychosocial (non-pharmacological) approaches to dementia care, in line with the I’m Still Here teachings, with a focus on integrating foundational improvisational teachings (Ex. “Yes, and”, the Role of Status, being in the moment, responding to what you are given, listening, and playing to the top of your intelligence). We believe that those living with dementia still retain their personality and the essence of who they are, regardless of if they can remember a specific moment in their past, and that by modifying the way we communicate we can both provide those individuals with a fuller life and create tools to improve the relationship they have with all those around them. Our film, How You Are to Me is the embodiment of these teachings, but not presented as a lecture or how-to, but as a loving story of a day in the life of a married couple, presented in a very unique way.
Our goal is to not only create a conversation but to fully motivate those interacting with individuals living with dementia to learn the HYATM Approach and be able to utilize it in their every day interactions to improve the lives of everyone involved.
Follow along with the film and learn
dementia communication skills
What people
Are Saying
Book For
A Conference
How You Are to Me is utilized in a unique presentation that begins with the film and transitions into an interactive How You Are to Me Approach seminar on non-pharmacological approaches to dementia care.
Writer, Producer, Researcher Evan Bass Zeisel involves audiences to create a back-and-forth learning discussion that pulls clips from the film as a means to show care approaches in practice as well as shine the light on specific care techniques. In addition to the 1.5-2 hour presentation (modifiable for timing constraints), Mr. Zeisel makes himself available for one-on-one Q&A with attendees throughout the day he presents at a conference.
Reach out to us over social media to find out more:
Synopsis
A story of love having no boundaries.
How You Are to Me is a narrative short film that follows a woman caregiver (Margaret) and her husband (John) living with Alzheimer’s disease for whom she cares 24/7. From the disoriented to the intimate, from the frustrating to the tender, every moment of a caregiver and loved one’s interactions is highlighted in this beautiful, heart-breaking, and educational film.
Producer’s Statement:
This film is more than a film, it is a quest to change a perspective — that Alzheimer’s is not a disease that makes an individual disappear, it is a disease which requires a change in the way we communicate.
The film integrates caregiving techniques (cultivated in the Scripted-IMPROV Project — www.ScriptedImprov.com) throughout to exemplify proper care for maximizing communication while still maintaining a grounded story and realistic interactions that caregivers will be able to relate to. No one is the perfect caregiver, but how we react changes the nature of how our relationships flourish.
How You Are to Me is directed skillfully by Aemilia Scott (BAFTA award winner for Best If Used By) and shot with the close eye of Jay Keitel (Sun Don’t Shine, Paperback, The Frontier, The Sideways Light). The short film stars Miranda Noelle Wilson (The Scripted-Improv Project, The Eve, and Clutch Productions), Dan Berkey (Remission), Melinda Tanner (known for her theater roles), Christopher Grant (Million Dollar Quartet), and written by and starring Evan Bass (The Scripted-Improv Project, We Need Girlfriends, The Loudest Voice, Power).
Reviews
“First - let me say this is a very eloquent statement of the power of love – and of the challenges of both living with dementia and being a full-time caregiver. It has a wonderful balance of both positive and difficult moments for both people.”
“[In the film] these are two people who are married and have dedicated their lives to each other, and she [Margaret] is very good at going with the flow--a very important and necessary skill. She [Margaret] realizes that to stay connected, she must change how she communicates with her husband as he too changes. This film teaches how to do just that; it is a guideline for people living with dementia; teaching viewers that there is hope.”
Nevada Women’s Film Festival
Best Female Protagonist
Winner
CHAIN NYC Film Festival
Best Ensemble
Winner
Short. Sweet. Film Festival
Best Drama
Winner