Copyright 2013 by Health Professions Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS
The Benefits of Birds and Nature for People with Dementia . . . . . . . 4
Attracting Birds to Your Facility . . . . . . . 6
Food Water Nesting Shelter Bird Feeding Basics
Selecting Seeds Feeder Maintenance and Hygiene
Eliminate or Reduce Pesticide Use Plant Native Species Take Action! Plant Natives
The Bird Tales Therapeutic Program . . . . . . . 18
Getting Started Elements of a Successful Program
Understanding Dementia Essential Tools
Setting the Stage Communication Situations
Tools . . . . . . . 32
Activity Lessons and Bird Tales Activity Cards
Activity: Making New Feathered Friends
Activity: Bird Songsters
About the Authors . . . . . . . 37
*Bird Tales Activity Cards . . . . . . . 41
Tufted Titmouse Mourning Dove
Black-capped Chickadee Northern Cardinal
*Additional Bird Tales Activity Cards are available for download at www. healthpropress.com/Bird-Cards.

Copyright 2013 by Health Professions Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Benefits of Birds and Nature for People with Dementia

he healthcare community, urban planners, and government agencies are all acknowledging what researchers
have been saying for decades: Green spaces can revitalize a person physically, psychologically and socially.
Environmental psychologist Kathleen Wolf at the University of Washington has gathered more than 1,800 research papers spanning the past 40 yearsmost published in the past decadethat show that green spaces in
cities can provide a number of benefits, including: faster healing; reduced ailments, such as high blood pressure
and diabetes; increased coping and learning capacity; promotion of a sense of community and self-esteem; and,
in some cases, reduced crime.
Natures healing powers have been described in many examples and include
interactions among behavior and outcomes
and human phenomena. For instance, it may
be difficult to differentiate whether positive
outcomes are a result of increased exposure
to natural light or fresh air, increased socialization, or greater autonomy. Nature-based
interventions may target specific behaviors,
actions, or systems; yet, this level of specification is relatively new and requires additional research.
Although people with dementia may react
differently to stimuli, intervention studies have shown reductions in agitation,
improved depression, greater diversity of
activity, improvement in mood, positive staff
Nature is an important part of our physical world, and although we
interaction, and enhanced well-being. It is a
react to nature in different ways, human beings have a connection to all
natural progression to look more specifically natural things. (Edward O. Wilson, Biophilia, 1984).
at environments that include opportunities to
interact with nature as a way to promote the physical and mental health, well-being, and quality of life of people
with dementia.
For the purpose of this guide, the definition of nature exposure or nature experience includes a passive interaction, such as watching birds through the window, listening to bird calls, or sitting on a bench outdoors looking
at flowers, as well as a more active and interactive approach that could involve gardening or walking along a
path. However the interaction or exposure occurs, it can provide an abundant source of multisensory stimulation in physical, emotional, behavioral, psychological, spiritual, and/or cognitive domains.
So what makes nature so powerful? Our reactions to it may stem from our deep evolutionary roots, says child
environment and behavior researcher Andrea Faber Taylor. She and her colleague Frances Kuo at the University

4
Copyright 2013 by Health Professions Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

of Illinois have based their research of our relationship with our environment on the Attention Restoration
Theory, which says that we have two kinds of attention: directed and involuntary.
Taylor explains: We only have a finite capacity for effortful attention. By making yourself stay on task, you can
become fatigued, irritable and eventually less productive. Things in natureinsects, birds, moving tree leaves,
flowing water, fireare naturally fascinating to us because as humans evolved, those who paid attention to
these things were better able to survive. We are calmed and our directed attention is restored by green spaces
because viewing them is a gently engaging experience.
Bird Tales is a dynamic, unique, and low-cost therapeutic program that brings the natural outdoor world of
birds to people living with dementia. Dementia care expert Randy Griffin, R.N., M.S., HNC, has developed this
beneficial program with the assistance of knowledgeable educators from the National Audubon Society and
skilled dementia care providers from TransCon Corporation. Using this guide and the accompanying training
DVD, this program can be easily replicated and implemented in long-term care facilities, assisted living centers,
and adult day centers, as well as in the home by family caregivers.
Your facility may already provide habitat for common birds. By improving the quality of that habitat, your
grounds can attract additional birds and wildlife while providing a healthier, more interactive environment for
your residents.
This guide will help you to:
attract birds to your property
develop your own Bird Tales program
connect people with dementia to birds and nature

5
Copyright 2013 by Health Professions Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

Photo by Al Erickson
Copyright 2013 by Health Professions Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

Copyright 2013 by Health Professions Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

They have a large variety of calls and songs,

including a distinct scolding call.

They will sing year-round, but you hear this

song most often in the late winter and early
spring before most other birds.

The tufted titmouses song sounds like it is

saying, Peter, Peter, Peter

Listen

To hear the song of the bird,

squeeze its belly.

Most birds have a short, square-shaped

tail, but a few have special tails that are
longer or forked to help with flying and
balance.

Feel the tail

Feel the shape of the beak

Is it thin and pointy like a pair of
tweezers? It uses this thin beak to pick
up insects.

Feel

2013 National Audubon Society. Published by Health Professions Press, Inc.

Bird Tales: A Program for Engaging People with Dementia

through the Natural World of Birds

The oldest-known wild tufted titmouse lived to be 13 years and 3 months old.

Tufted titmice hoard food in fall and winter. The storage sites are within 130 feet of the feeder.

www.healthpropress.com/Bird-Cards

For a downloadable PDF version, go to

Tufted titmice often line the inner cup of their nest with hair, sometimes plucked directly from living animals.

Fun Facts

Look at the eyes

There is a little red in them!

Notice the peach color under

the wings
We only notice the grey back and white
belly when they are outside because they are
moving so fast!

Look

Holding the bird model provides the opportunity to examine the bird up close and appreciate the
details of each bird.

Tufted Titmouse

Bird Tales

staff and family interactions even

in elders with advanced dementia
and lift their mood for the rest of
the day!
Additional program components:
The Bird Tales Activity Cards are a wonderful supplement for
your program implementation. Use the four cards included in
the program guide, or visit www.healthpropress.com/Bird#Cards
to print more cards. Each Bird Tales Activity Card has a
beautiful, full-color photo of a common bird on the front and
look, listen, feel tips on the back. These large vibrant bird
photos bring the birds to the persons lap, making it easier to
see the birds up-close. Interesting facts on the back offer useful
conversational prompts.

Make bird feeders with pine cones and peanut butter

Stroll outside in the garden
Share photographs of common backyard birds

This innovative program shows how to create a healthier, more

attractive environment at any care facility or home. While
promoting your participants engagement with their environment,
youll be providing them with an easy, comforting way to share
a moment with others or reminisce about something they
have enjoyed doing in the past. An inspiring training DVD is
accompanied by a step-by-step program guide that provides the
tools and information needed to start your own Bird Tales program.
Developed by a dementia care expert and an environmental
specialist from the Audubon Society, Bird Tales comes with:
Captivating video footage demonstrating the best ways to
engage participants in a range of Bird Tales activities
Instructions for improving your outdoor environment to create
a healthy, sustainable outdoor space and attract native birds
Tips for training facility and activity staff
Solutions for unexpected behaviors or challenging situations
that might arise during activities
Lesson plans with suggested themes, venues, modifiable
activities, and facilitator scripts
Bird Tales Activity Cardssee inside flap for more details!
Perfect for activity professionals, social workers, and family
caregivers looking for an enriching way to engage people living
with dementia, Bird Tales provides an ideal therapeutic program
for a wide variety of settings and participants. With only a pair of
binoculars or the printed photographs and activity cards from the
program guide, you can run this low-cost program up to 7 days
a week, indoors or outdoors. Use these simple natured-based
activities to help people with dementia benefit from the natural
environment and share joyful activities with others.

www.healthpropress.com
Manufactured in the U.S.A.

See the positive outcomes every day:

Vicky did not speak at all, but her eyes definitely
sparkled when I came over to her and directly told
her the phrase that the bird was singing. I would
play the sound and it seemed to just click with her.
After the session, when I said goodbye she reached
out her hand to me and looked into my eyes. I
knew we connected on a deep level even without
words.

About the Creators

Randy L. Griffin, R.N., M.S., HNC, is the creator
and developer of Bird Tales and co-author of
the accompanying program guide. An expert in
the field of dementia care with more than 30
years of experience, Randy is pioneering the
practice of intentional caregiving for people
with Alzheimers disease and other forms of
dementia. Her approach centers on treating the
whole person, not just an individuals symptoms,
by creating a culture rich with emotional
nourishment.
Ken Elkins, co-author of the Bird Tales program
guide, is Education Program Manager at Audubon
Center at Bent of the River in Connecticut. Ken
is one of 40 individuals nationwide selected as
a 2011 TogetherGreen Fellow, a conservation
alliance of Audubon and Toyota to support
community-focused projects that contribute to
greater environmental health.
TransCon Builders, Inc., manages a family of six
care homes offering short-term rehabilitation,
long-term care, assisted living, and dementia
care in Connecticut. Its commitment to transcend
quality care standards by responding to each
residents unique personal history and set of
needs is reflected in initiatives such as adopting
the Dementia Ambassadors Program, created by
Randy Griffin and the Connecticut Alzheimers
Association, and participating in the creation of
the Bird Tales program.

Bird Tales

sound, and touch can encourage

So many ways to connect!

Bird Tales

ird Tales is an easy-to-implement therapeutic program that

uses multisensory stimulation and the natural outdoor world
of birds to help people living with dementia interact with
their environment and share meaningful experiences with others.

Observing birds through sight,

Griffin

Alzheimers & Dementia

Nature / Birdwatching Guides

During one session of Bird Tales, Ken handed

Norma the Tufted Titmouse. After that, when Ken
came back and showed the whole group a picture,
Norma announced the name of the bird and started
to laugh with joy. The laughter was infectious.
Since that session, she can still identify a Tufted
Titmouse when seeing one at our bird feeders. . . .
We have tapped into Normas long term memory
giving her a sense of accomplishment, pride and
the joy of laughter.

Delight
hearts & minds
with the nurture
of nature!

Bird
Tales

he plush Audubon Birds by Wild Republic that share their

songs with just a gentle squeeze will delight your program
participants. They are featured in the video, and the program guide
describes how to use them for added sensory stimulation during indoor
activities. Participants will relish the opportunity to listen to authentic
bird calls inside home or facility. The Audubon birds are readily available
for purchase online and through a variety of stores near you.

A Program for
Engaging People
with Dementia
through the Natural
World of Birds

Created and developed by Randy Griffin, R.N., M.S., HNC

Includes: Bird Tales DVD + Program Guide, by Randy Griffin and Ken Elkins

An 18-minute DVD provides captivating video footage

demonstrating the best ways to engage participants in a range
of nature-oriented activities. See residents helping to create,
sustain, and enjoy an outdoor environment for wild birds,
and witness the many ways the Bird Tales program brings joy
and stimulating interactions into their lives.