Not long after being introduced to Gaby, a graphic artist skilled in animation and a graduate of the university here in Guanajuato, I received an unexpected offer. She and Zyan, Gaby’s friend and fellow graphic artist, proposed some design upgrades on our magazine which had just been launched!
While unexpected, the offer came at a time when I was already questioning our tagline and realizing that the content is not only for dementia care partners. It is, in addition, for those who know someone with dementia; 
for those who interface in any way with the dementia community, and, for those with the potential to positively impact change in the environment surrounding persons living with dementia.
The site was launched in January 2020 to focus on the “higher level needs” of the person living with dementia. That – in itself – was something I had very rarely encountered in any dementia literature. Thus, I felt we were in frontier territory.
“Higher level needs”…?
The “higher level needs” are reflected in our Well-Being Hierarchy which was inspired by Dr. Abraham Maslow many years ago, and more recently by the work of Dr. Al Power.
Well-being pyramid illustrating hierarchy of “6 Real Life Pleasures.” Adapted by ABeautifulVoice.org from Dementia Beyond Disease, Enhancing Well-Being, Health Professions Press, Inc. – Revised Edition, (p. 99), by G. Allen Power, MD, FACP (2017).
Following the January 2020 launch, I began searching for articles related to “soul care” – simply because it helped to define my use of “higher level needs.”
Singing sacred music together with Mother at the piano had become an extremely meaningful part of every day. What would we have done without music at the ranch!? It was food for our soul which sustained our being together for so many years. Read here about “our essence” – and how we sang the journey.
And so, it was an irony that the first article which I found on “soul care” was written about James Ellor, Ph.D., D.Min, someone whom I knew while serving as Adjunct Faculty at National Louis University in the Chicago area in the 1980’s. It was here that I became acquainted with Dr. Ellor, Chair of the Human Service Department, who provided a support service to my classroom during my adjunct experience.
Today, he is regarded as The Rev. Dr. James Ellor, a Gerontological expert. His impressive career in Chicago led to a position as Professor at Baylor University-Waco where he has served as Director of the Center for Gerontological Studies.
The Dimension of “Soul Care”
In an online search, I learned that he is credited for defining the dimension of “soul care” while being involved in Alzheimer’s care over the course of several decades. In a 2016 article, What Alzheimer’s disease teaches us about the soul, he imparts wisdom which care partners of those living with this diagnosis would want others to know. Paraphrased, he states:
- In 40 years, I’ve never known anyone who cared about a person with Alzheimer’s who would say that the soul has departed prior to death.
He continues with this important assessment – based on his lifework in Gerontology. (PhD in Personality and Theology; M. Div with concentration in Pastoral Care with the Elderly; MSW with a concentration in Gerontology.)
Essentially, this…
- Every Alzheimer’s patient is spiritually like you or me. The soul is still there.
In my experience at the ranch, it seemed unmistakable to me when we made music together – that this was “soul care.” And on a daily basis, it was simply profound.
Coming soon
In recent weeks, the development of the 2021 version of ABeautifulVoice.org has now progressed beyond research to development. We are busy, as we prepare for a 2021 launch.
Among other revisions, the 2021 web upgrade will include a new tagline, “Humanizing dementia – celebrating soul care.” It has been an evolutionary process to more precisely define “higher level needs” and who our “audience” is!
Perhaps, we’ve got it this time.
Being introduced to this talented duo – Gaby and Zyan – couldn’t have been more well-timed!
Author: Susan Troyer
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