Nora de Cárdenas, J.D.

Mental impairments caused by Alzheimer’s Disease and other aging-related dementias can be so hard on both families and sufferers.  Memories and shared experiences are what make us who we are and to watch that slowly slip away to the grips of Alzheimer’s and dementia is extremely painful. November is “National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month” and in honor of that, I would like to share a wonderful way to connect with your elderly loved ones: “Arts Therapy.”

Music Therapy
Familiar songs can help people with Alzheimer’s relate to others, move more easily and experience joy. Your mother or father might have forgotten their names, but hearing Benny Goodman or Frank Sinatra might take them back decades and prompt them to dance. Music memory is preserved better than verbal memory because music, unlike language, is not seated in a specific area of the brain but processed across many parts.

There’s been a burst of interest in Music Therapy for people with Alzheimer’s. Kate Gfeller, who directs the graduate Music Therapy program at the University of Iowa, published a study in the Journal of Music Therapy which found that activities like moving to music, playing rhythm instruments and singing led to more group involvement and less wandering and disruptive behavior among 51 patients with dementia in five nursing facilities.   Another study at the University of Miami School of Medicine demonstrated that music raised melatonin levels and improved behavior and sleeping problems in 20 male Alzheimer’s patients.(1)

How can you take this research and apply it practically in your loved one’s life? The trick is finding out what particular music was popular when your parents were teens and young adults. Those years were a powerful time in their lives… a time of first love… of moving into their first home. People will play the music they heard during these years all their lives, and recall it the longest. Here are some additional tips:

• Think about the mood you want to create. Use energetic music to enliven and energize and calming music to help relax and before bedtime.
• Avoid distractions and competing noises by turning off the TV.
• Try to have your loved one listen to about 30-40 minutes of music a day.
• Use our Company’s professional senior home care services to, among other things, help design a Music Therapy program specifically for your loved one.

Art Therapy
Art, by its very nature, is one of a kind … much like our personalities, speaking to each person in a unique way. But, what exactly is Art Therapy? The American Art Therapy Association defines it as “a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art-making to improve and enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages.”(2) Art Therapy is also proving to be a successful tool in dealing with the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.  A 1999 UK study, for example, showed that half of the Alzheimer’s sufferers who took part in a ten-week art therapy course showed a significant improvement in their symptoms by the end of the study.(3)

What are some of the ways you can connect through art with your loved one?  Taking a stroll through a museum or art gallery is a great way to relax a person with Alzheimer’s while providing some exercise. Talking about their own newly-created artwork, either one-on-one or in a group, provides an opportunity to converse about something “in the moment”, rather than worry about a forgotten name or fact. It can prove to be relaxing for both the patient and the family member or caregiver.

In addition, Dr. Gayatri Devi, an author and expert in Art Therapy offers the following tips(4):

• Contact your local Alzheimer’s Association for any creative arts programs in your area.
• Pick up art books at the local library to look through together.
• Completion of any art project is not important. It’s the “creative process” that counts.
• Keep the project at the adult level. Use watercolors, charcoal and pastels (not crayons, construction paper or felt markers).
• Maintain safety at all times – avoid sharp objects and toxic substances.
• Never criticize the artwork.

Bottom line, if you are feeling frustrated or are seeking a way to connect with your loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s and other aging-related mental disorders, there is hope.  If you would like help starting or implementing a Music or Art Therapy program with your aging loved one, call us at Visiting Angels. We would be delighted to help bring out again that spark in your loved one that makes them who they really are!  Let’s give it a try…you may be really surprised at what awaits!

Did you know scores of research overwhelmingly show seniors really want to stay in their homes as they age. However, we all know that aging brings its challenges.  Simple things like maintaining social relationships or taking care of a pet can prove to be too much for an aging loved one.  Giving the gift of non-medical in-home care can help provide a bridge to keep seniors safe and active.  In our next article, we will give you some creative ideas on how to use in-home care that you might not have thought of! If you have any immediate questions on this article or any other senior home care related topics, please visit www.VisitingAngels.com/Burling-Mercer, call us at 609-883-8188 or visit us on Facebook @ “Visiting Angels of Central Burlington & Mercer Counties.”

1. “Music Therapy Helps Alzheimer’s Patients” by Jane Vail. Reuters Health, January 28, 2000. http://www.afn.org/~afn54735/music-t1.html
2. “What is Art Therapy” http://www.arttherapy.org/aata-aboutus.html
3. BBC News, Art Therapy for Alzheimer’s. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/349579.stm
4. Dr. Gayatri Devi.  What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Alzheimer’s Disease (2004).

Nora de Cárdenas, J.D., is the Co-Owner, Director of “Visiting Angels of Central Burlington & Mercer Counties”. Visiting Angels provides non-medical homecare to seniors, the convalescing, the disabled and to adults simply in need of occasional help. Our “Angels” help make it possible for seniors to “age in place”… safely and comfortably. Visiting Angels’ services also allow families to spend more mutually rewarding and meaningful time with their loved ones and provide peace of mind to those who face the challenges of long-distance caregiving. © 2009 Visiting Angels of Central Burlington & Mercer Counties.