Alzheimer’s Disease and Art
Writer: Vijaya Varadarajan
While art has always been a deep medium for the expression of one's self, to people living with Alzheimer's disease, it can mean so much more than just an outlet for creativity. Indeed, art therapy can provide a way to communicate, connect, and give joy when cognitive skills are in decline. It enhances emotional expression and mental activation; it serves as a source of accomplishment for persons dealing with the challenges of dementia.
A study by Schall, Tesky, Adams, and Pantel, 2018, identified significant outcomes from art therapy for Alzheimer's disease patients. This blog seeks to look at their findings and how art therapy can be an influential tool in dementia care.
Art Therapy: The Uncommon Language for Persons Suffering from Dementia
With Alzheimer's, the impossibility of verbal communication in general can become very frustrating for people to express themselves. However, due to the fact that art is non-verbal communication, they can approach the world in a very different manner. They get to reveal such emotions as feelings and sensations which words can no longer represent, building a passage from their inner world to either the caregiver or the loved one.
According to Schall et al. (2018), art therapy turns on parts of the brain that control creativity and emotion, even when cognitive impairment suppresses memory and speech. This can be most effective in the later stages of Alzheimer's disease when other approaches may no longer engage the individual.
Image 1: Paintings from William Utermohlen, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in 1996 and died in 2007. These paintings show the progressions of his self portraits. The last painting, Utermohlen draws a distorted face where it is hard to make out Utermohlen himself.
Benefits of Art Therapy: Emotional and Cognitive Aspects
This research also points out the dual benefits of art therapy in promoting emotional well-being and maintaining cognitive function. Specific creative activities would afford the Alzheimer's patient moments of serenity, happiness, and pride that are so crucial to improving quality of life.
Accordingly, art therapy often leads to some positive change emotionally, such as a decrease in anxiety and depression-both symptoms very common in dementia. Creating the art can make patients focus on the present moment and thus help them forget the frustration of memory loss or confusion. The creation of something will make them channel their emotions into something tangible and foster a sense of purpose.
Besides, art therapy is able to provoke cognitive functions. For example, color, shape, and subject choices to be included in a picture require decision-making and problem solving, thus engaging different parts of the brain. In turn, this intellectual activation slows down cognitive decline in some patients.
Connection and Communication Through Art
One of the most beautiful facets of art therapy is how it strengthens attachments among people who have Alzheimer's and their caregivers or loved ones. According to Schall et al. (2018), one of the most helpless feelings of a caregiver is often when their loved one's cognitive abilities start to deteriorate. In such situations, however, during the course of participation in the art therapy together, an avenue to share in some meaningful activity presents itself.
This can be a shared experience that may provide an instant of emotional connectedness when words are no longer a viable means of communication. It may also allow caregivers to understand what their loved one might not be able to say in words, such as the feelings or memories that one wants to express but cannot find the words for. A painting or sculpture, for example, may express emotions related to joy, frustration, or nostalgia and perhaps open up conversations that might otherwise not have been made.
Long-Term Effects of Art Therapy
Art therapy is not just the pleasure in that moment but gives many long-term benefits to people with Alzheimer's. Over time, regular involvement can build a habit and help patients retain some semblance of structure and purpose in their lives. It could be a little anchor in an otherwise disorienting world during those moments when engagement can happen.
Moreover, the legacy can be the work of art itself: such works are often cherished by the family and caregivers, who see in them the window into an inner world when memories and words have gone.
Memories in the Making
The "Memories in the Making" program, from the Alzheimer's Association, utilizes the medium of art to bring out the individual in the early stages of dementia. Activities like painting enable them to express emotions and memories that at times are strenuous to mention with words. This program instills a sense of pride and accomplishment in the individuals and helps provide stimulation for cognitive abilities, which contributes to improving their concentration and self-esteem. It also allows for thoughtful discussion with family members regarding the stories that accompany the artwork. This program can be available in a variety of care settings, offering both on-site and virtual options. The purpose of this program is to build on the strengths of what a person with dementia can still do and say. Learn more here: https://www.alz.org/wi/helping-you/early-stage-programs/memories-in-the-making
Conclusion: The Lasting Value of Art
Schall et al. (2018) underscore that art therapy is not a form of entertainment but a serious treatment, one which has the potential to improve the lives of patients with Alzheimer's. It gives them emotional release, intellectual stimulation, and an opportunity for self-expression when other means are no longer accessible. In this way, art therapy becomes an integral part of treating Alzheimer's disease, making a painful condition magnificent, dignified, and human by affording the patient latitude of expression and communication with others.
Embracing the salutary power of art can play a critical role in bettering lives of those afflicted, as we continue pressing forward in exploring ways to do so.
The paper that we explored in this article: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5619572/
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