By Mary Fridley I haven’t felt like writing lately. My best friend is in the final stages of cancer (or cancers to be exact), so it’s been harder to focus on putting words to paper and other life activities. My best friend is Dr. Susan Massad, who I’ve had…
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By Mary Fridley Every so often, I read an article or blog that moves me so much that I want to share it with everyone I know – and even those I don’t. This was definitely my response after reading “Suffering No More – Reimagining Dementia in a Post-COVID…
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by agebuzz Guest Blogger Mary Fridley On June 18th, I moderated a conversation, Playing with Dementia: How the dementia experience can help us all embrace uncertainty, live more joyously, lead with our hearts and create a better world, with four incredibly creative and innovative dementia advocates: Phyllis Fehr, Daniella…
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By agebuzz Guest Blogger Mary Fridley I’ve been in a number of conversations over the last few weeks about how to best relate to people who hold or express negative attitudes about any number of topics, including dementia. Invariably, the consensus becomes “We just need to keep educating people”…
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By agebuzz Guest Blogger Mary Fridley I recently took part in a presentation in which colleagues from Reimagining Dementia: A Creative Coalition for Justice creatively introduced themselves to members of Dementia Friendly Nevada. Everyone was wonderful, but the showstopper was a musical rap by Phyllis Fehr and her grandson…
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For most people, a dementia diagnosis, either for oneself or a loved one, feels like a devastating blow: a strike at the heart of what makes a person uniquely human. Few would greet such a diagnosis as an opportunity for reimagining what is possible and positive in life. Yet, for…
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Mary Fridley is on the faculty at the East Side Institute in NYC, co-creator and leader of The Joy of Dementia (You Gotta Be Kidding!), and coordinator of Reimagining Dementia: A Creative Coalition for Justice. An accomplished teacher and workshop leader, Mary practiced social therapy for 12 years and uses the social therapeutic approach as a teacher and workshop leader. She is the author or co-author of several articles and chapters on the Joy of Dementia, including a chapter that appears in The Applied Improvisation Mindset published in August 2021. Additionally, Mary is a guest blogger for agebuzz and a playwright and theater director. She makes her living as a non-profit fundraising consultant. She can be contacted at [email protected] .
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