Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

"The deficiency needs are said to motivate people when they are unmet. Also, the need to fulfil such needs will become stronger the longer the duration they are denied. For example, the longer a person goes without food the more hungry they will become.

One must satisfy lower level deficit needs before progressing on to meet higher level growth needs. When a deficit need has been satisfied it will go away. Our activities become habitually directed towards meeting the next set of needs that we have yet to satisfy. These then become our salient needs. However, growth needs continue to be felt and may even become stronger once they have been engaged. Once these growth needs have been reasonably satisfied, one may be able to reach the highest level called self-actualization.

Every person is capable and has the desire to move up the hierarchy toward a level of self-actualization. Unfortunately, progress is often disrupted by failure to meet lower level needs. Life experiences, including divorce and loss of job may cause an individual to fluctuate between levels of the hierarchy. Therefore, not everyone will move through the hierarchy in a uni-directional manner but may move back and forth between the different types of needs."

(http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html)

Maslow's Theory and Dementia:

If you apply Maslow's theory, it is backing up the argument of the benefits of enhancing the life of dementia patients. If you treat them like they have dementia, then they will act and feel like they have dementia (more so than otherwise). 

"The study of crippled, stunted, immature and unhealthy specimens can yield only a cripple psychology and a cripple philosophy." (Maslow, Motivation and Personality, 1954, pg.234)

If you also consider how dementia and Alzheimer's work, it is like looking at Maslow's pyramid in reverse. As the brain degenerates, most of the time the actions in the top of the pyramid (hobbies, activities, etc.) In terms of using creative therapies to enhance the quality of life of a dementia patient, this is where creative activities would fall. If you manage to keep this stage of the 'needs pyramid' solid for as long as possible, then the quality of life will be much higher. In some cases a persons physical ability can degenerate first, but it is much rarer. It is losing 'self actualisation' and esteem that really start to kickstart the negative symptoms such as stress, confusion and depression.