Creativity of Spirit: Honoring Dementia and the Arts

June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month, which promotes awareness of dementia and the importance of brain health. Many of us are familiar with the frightening descent into memory loss that dementia can bring. What we sometimes forget is the creativity and spirit that can emerge from living with these difficult challenges. So much of our human experience goes beyond facts and figures to present a more complex and holistic portrait of what it means to be alive. The act of creation belongs to everyone.

Connecting with one another through the arts, whether creating, observing, or doing some of each, is a part of the human experience that remains even when practical issues with memory and logic are present. Art--drawing, painting, ceramics, collage, song, poetry, and more--can bring us together when words fail us.

Some ways that people living with memory loss and those who love them can benefit from the arts include art therapy, which can give fresh perspective and reduce frustration that too often accompanies memory loss. Art therapists are trained mental health professionals who understand how to use the arts to support those in need. In art therapy, the act of creative expression is free of comparison and fear of failure. Instead we find joy and self-expression that is both unique and universal. Find more about art therapy at the American Art Therapy Association.

Like art therapists, music therapists are trained professionals who understand how music affects people living with dementia. And like visual art, music can reduce anxiety and create moments of joy in unexpected ways, easing difficult experiences for care partners and those they love. Find more at Music as Medicine.

Visiting art through docent-led tours can be an enjoyable and therapeutic experience for people with dementia. These experiences are tailored to people with memory loss. Check out this short video about a program in Minneapolis that combines visiting and discussing art with creating art as an individual. In New Mexico, look for similar programs through the Memory Care Alliance.

While professional therapists and trained docents can help us access our inner artist, there are less formal ways to encourage one another to benefit from creativity. If you are engaging in artistic activities with a loved one who has dementia, remember these tips:

• Allow time. Hurrying or suggesting a sense of limited time is inhibiting.

• Choose materials appropriate for the project and the person.

• Don't be a critic. Support the process and the product.

At Enchanted Sky Hospice we are honored to support people with Alzheimer's and other dementias with end of life care that respects the individual. Holistic care at end of life is itself an art that meets the needs of those we serve. Please contact us if you have questions about our services and how we might make a difference in your life.