ShareHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
Last January, the Alzheimer’s Association - North Central Texas Chapter added an art program to its slate of services. Alongside educational opportunities, 24-hour help line assistance, support groups, case management and more, the chapter now offers Memories in the Making, an art program that helps people with dementia express themselves creatively.
"Life is a struggle for those suffering from dementia and their families no matter what the circumstances," saidTheresa Hocker, Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Association. "Something as simple as an hour a week painting with a trained facilitator brings the joy of self-expression to those who have already lost so much."Nationwide, some 20 chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association offer Memories in the Making, a program developed over 20 years ago by two artists working with the Orange County Chapter of the Association. The North Central Texas Chapter hopes the program will aid communication and improve quality of life for people with dementia, many of whom are residents of area care facilities. Twelve assisted living, nursing homes and day programs in six north central Texas counties host Memories in the Making and more intend to offer it in the near future. "It helps bring the families together, creates opportunities for reminiscing and builds self-esteem," says Cassandra Walker of Arden Courts Assisted Living in Arlington. Other activity directors cite reduction in agitation, positive emotional response, improved memory function and greater social engagement as benefits of the program.Bernice, a resident at Quail Park in Granbury, is painting a Christmas tree decorated with flowers. She pauses to reminisce about her childhood on a farm in West Texas. "We didn’t have paints 93 years ago," she says, "only pencils. I loved to draw with pencil. It was so much fun."High-quality watercolor paint is by far the preferred medium as it is vibrant, intuitive and yields pleasing results with the slightest physical effort. The result is often (but not always) a finished work of art that is a wholly unique expression of that person in that moment. The paintings to emerge from Memories in the Making are perhaps the program’s most pleasant surprise. Few of the 150 artist participants in the program to date ever painted before and some struggle even to hold a brush, yet many succeed in creating enigmatic and poetic works of art. For people with advanced dementia who have lost so much, completing a painting brings a special sense of accomplishment. "It makes me think about today," says Edie May of her swirling abstraction, entitled "My Good Day." "Isn’t it pretty? See what I made? This was the best day ever." Edie May’s painting will be included in an exhibition of work by residents of HCR Manor Care in North Richland Hills, the focus of a festive gathering for residents and their families. Other facilities, ever striving to be happier, homier places, are planning similar events. The Alzheimer’s Association also offers Memories in the Making to people with dementia who are living at home. A group of painters and their caregivers meets every Wednesday at the Riverside Community Center in Haltom City. "Karen really looks forward to coming," says Debbie Quinn of the woman she cares for. "The painting and group interaction are really good for her."For more information about Memories in the Making, contact the Alzheimer’s Association at 817-336-4949 or visit www.alz.org\north centraltexas.– Source: Alzheimer’s Association, North Central Texas Chapter
@Nyx.CommentBody@