Art and Alzheimer’s: Tips for Making It Work

At many of our Lady-Links visits we enjoy making some type of art project with our friend who has Alzheimer’s dementia.  We found the tips from the Alzheimer’s Navigator on the alz.org website helpful in our planning.  Here’s how we applied them to our situation:

Tip #1:  “Keep the project on an adult level.  Avoid anything that might be demeaning or seem child-like.”  Our cards and other art projects are colorful and appealing which applies to all ages.  However, we are careful that they are not childish.  Our cards are designed to provide encouragement and inspiration among our seniors in our community.

Our holiday decorations are used at community events and with visits to neighbors in our continuing care section.  Some of our projects are designed to be used with children and are given to local schools and hospitals.

We treat each project as friends working together.  We have fun, laugh a lot, and enjoy each other’s company.  We do not set ourselves up as teachers, nor do we treat our friend with Alzheimer’s dementia as our student or as a child.  We are friends and treat her accordingly.  We do carefully choose the part she is given to accomplish the project successfully, but we do not call attention to that fact.  We usually work in an assembly line fashion sitting around a table, so she feels that she is contributing a significant step in the process which of course she is.

Tip #2  “Build conversation into the project.  Provide encouragement, discuss what the person is creating or reminiscence.”  When you have three or four Lady-Links get together, there is a wealth of love,  laughter and memories associated with the project built into the conversation.

Our friend is progressively making more comments and adding bits to the conversation with each visit.  She is linking to memories in her past and can say enough about them that we can catch on to what she is communicating.  Our talk centers around her.  We don’t have private conversations.  When we initiate something to discuss, we will draw her into the conversation and wait for a reply.  Sometimes we give her prompts.  At other times, she doesn’t need them.

Tip #3 “Help the person begin the activity.”  We always model for our friend what we want her to do.  This is not done as a teacher student presentation, but rather as when one of us takes the lead and shows the entire group what their step in the process  will be.

Tip #4:  “Use safe materials.”  Everything we use is non-toxic and easy for her to use.  As of now, we are pre-cutting what is needed.  We assemble all the supplies and get them ready for use at the visits.  Baggies are a great way to group all the supplies for one project when it is possible for our friend to complete it.  At other times, we use the assembly line method.    As her manipulative skills continue to return, she may be able to do some of the cutting but if that happens,  we will use rounded scissors with her.  The preparation process currently is done before each visit begins so that it will be easy for her to do her part.  We even have a machine to make stickers because they are fun and easy for her to apply.

Tip #5:  Allow plenty of time, keeping in mind that the person doesn’t have to finish the project in one sitting.”  Our visits are usually one hour.

Promoting communication and friendship over coffee.

Part of that time we enjoy refreshments together and transition into a game or an activity or a project when our friend seems ready.  We focus on her and the process.  Our visits have never been about completing a certain number of projects.  We watch our friend.  If she is engaged, we continue.  When she becomes disinterested, we transition into another activity.

Art projects are something we enjoy with our friend, and to make them as successful as possible, we incorporate all five tips in our planning.  We focus on her enjoyment, not on achievement.  However, when we do that, we find that there is an incredible level of achievement that naturally occurs.  Our friend is finding meaning, purpose, joy and hope through these activities.  And so are we!