Posts Tagged ‘Art and Alzheimers’

How might we give those with Alzheimer’s opportunities to expess themselves through paint. Because of the disease, opportunities come IN THE MOMENT. Grab that moment when he or she is thinking about a memory. Grab that moment when the sun is shining and the temperature is in the 80′s. Grab that moment when there is a need to make sense but the words don’t come. Painting is a beautiful form of self-expession…many times more powerful than words. The colorful strokes of a brush brings fulfillment and peace…..and the next moment….maybe a nap!

Paint, as messy as it is, can’t be beat, when it comes to stirring the atmosphere in a nursing care facility. Recently, I spread a banquet of colorful paint in pans on a long table. We smeared the paint around with odd shaped pieces of cardboard, combs, sponges, and textured objects. The effects were beautiful. The process was fun and the unique effects on the end product was good in many cases. Loreatha shows off her painting.

We asked a seasoned weaver to come and show her weavings and show us all the “ins and outs” of weaving on a loom. She left a loom with us. It was kept in the social area and anyone could weave anytime. We wove fabric, yarn, paper, hair, and found objects into the stringed warp and ended up with an unusual piece of art. It was unplanned and “in the moment” as each person added his or her part.

At first glance this watercolor painting may not look like a finished product. It truly is not. It was used as a spring board for memories. I began painting a memory of my mom helping me sew a yellow dress on the sewing machine, talking to 2 Alzheimer’s patients as I painted.
As I spoke, I talked about my ponytail and having a favorite red shirt. I asked one of my onlookers to paint in the shirt. The other painted colors on my mother. I could have put more detail on it, but it was already doing what it was meant to do. We were talking about clothes and sewing and our mothers. The colors and the images provided for colorful interaction.

James did not participate in group activities. He was the one watching from sidelines. Saturday, we had an all afternoon jewelry making session. The fun was in sorting through colors and seeing what ones looked good together and also having an end product to wear or give. James said he didn’t want to make one…but he did. He made one for each of his daughters. Another gentleman came and made some for his grandaughters and the men kept coming. It was a fun afternoon.