10 Tips for Empowering People With Dementia Through Art

The number of people worldwide living with dementia—more than 47 million people—is projected to nearly triple to 135.5 million by 2050. As the leading cause of disability and dependency among older adults, dementia is considered one of the leading public health challenges. Researchers around the globe are working to identify effective treatments to stop, slow and prevent the disease. Among those myriad studies, several are finding art therapy to be a powerful tool for helping to enhance cognitive performance, self-expression, social interaction and quality of life in people with dementia. Activities such as playing music, scrapbooking, taking photographs, drawing, painting, writing and listening to poetry, and dancing give people with dementia the ability to express their thoughts, emotions and personal experiences a nonverbal way. Essentially, art becomes their voice. This mode of expression is shown to stimulate the whole brain, while triggering latent memories and positive emotions. Thus, art not only offers an opportunity for people with dementia to reminisce and connect socially, but also helps increase memory retrieval, reduce agitation and improve attention. Integrating art into intervention can help foster dignity and a sense of accomplishment in patients with dementia. When planning an art activity for someone with dementia, keep these 10 tips in mind: Incorporate conversation into the activity by asking open-ended questions. Help the person start the activity ...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech Therapy Authors: Tags: Speech-Language Pathology Cognitive Rehabilitation dementia Source Type: blogs