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Art makes the world better. From the enjoyment that comes from looking at a watercolor painting to creating your own work of art, creativity has a variety of health benefits. Research also shows that engaging in the creative arts improves the lives of adults with dementia. Here are a few of the many benefits the creative process provides seniors with memory impairment:
Reduced agitation and anxiety: Among the difficult behaviors caused by dementia are anxiety and agitation. When an adult with a memory impairment participates in art projects, they are more likely to remain focused and engaged. It gives them something tangible to do. The end result is often a reduction in anxiety and a boost to mood.
Sense of accomplishment: Short-term memory loss is common among adults with dementia. This can make it more difficult to stay on task and complete activities. Art projects can be empowering because it is the actual process of creating, rather than the finished project, that provides a sense of accomplishment.
Opportunity for self-expression: Dementia impacts different areas of the brain, including those linked to language skills. This can reduce a persons verbal skills as well as their ability to communicate effectively. Because art utilizes a part of the brain that is different from that used for language, it gives people an ability to express themselves. That means a senior who has some form of dementia that affects their speech, can benefit from having a creative outlet as a means for self-expression.
A chance to socialize: Depending on the stage of a seniors dementia, they may be able to participate in art classes. It might be ones you create for them at home or as part of an adult day program or memory care community. This gives the senior an opportunity to socialize with peers that can otherwise be tough to come by.
Easy Art Projects for Adults with Dementia. If you are looking for a few creative art projects for a senior loved one with memory loss, here is a list of ideas to explore:
Paper flowers: These can be as simple or as complex as you choose. Its also an inexpensive project that requires few supplies. DIY Paper Flowers has step-by-step instructions for creating a variety of different floral designs. If you prefer to learn by video, 6 Easy Paper Flowers and How to Make a Flower Out of Paper are several to try.
Adult coloring books: Coloring is another easy art project that is especially great for relaxation. You can purchase these at bookstores and craft stores, along with colored pencils. Simple designs that are larger and easier to see might be best.
Handmade note cards: One easy idea to try is making note cards. You can make watercolor cards, stamp and ink designs, or cards made from pasting photos cut from magazines.
Decorating cookies: Another activity that has both aromatherapy and art therapy benefits is baking and decorating cut-out cookies. You can make seasonally themed cookies, such as for spring or Valentines Day.
Stepping stones: You could also purchase stepping stone kits from the craft store. They come in a variety of themes and designs, and can usually be completed in the course of an afternoon.It may be a process of trial and error to determine which art projects your senior loved one most enjoys.
Art and Memory Care
At Sunrise communities, we know the important role art can play in the lives of people with dementia. Along with fitness programs and social activities, art is a part of daily life in our memory care Reminiscence Neighborhoods. We invite you to call the Sunrise nearest you to schedule a time for a personal tour!
When it is time to seek out healthcare assistance for yourself or an older adult, there are many options. Creating a plan can be a confusing and daunting task as you try to piece together services to meet all of your needs. For family caregivers, this can be especially stressful while also balancing the needs of work and family. Many caregivers find that care coordination for their parents can be a full-time job. PACE, which stands for Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, is an option that removes the burden of care coordination for older adults and their families. PACE is an innovative model of healthcare providing wrap-around services and coordinated care all in one place, alleviating stress on the older adult and their family. PACE provides the flexibility needed to meet the health care needs of older adults to support them living successfully in the community. A unique approach for every personEvery individual who receives care and services through PACE has a unique plan of care developed by an interdisciplinary team including providers, nurses, social workers, therapists, dietitians, homecare, transportation specialists, and more. The team works with each PACE participant to create an individualized plan that cares for the whole person, including their medical, social, and mental health needs. PACE is more than a list of services; PACE is a complete solutionPACE offers a day center, where participants can receive medical care, rehab therapies, meals and socialization. The PACE Center serves as the central hub of all services, including scheduling and transportation to and from all appointments. PACEs comprehensive services and care coordination can be an invaluable solution for the older adult and their caregivers who are balancing the needs of family and work. If you think PACE may be a solution for you, please call TRU PACE at 303-665-0115. Editors Note: This article was submitted by Samantha Black, LSW, Executive Director at TRU PACE and may be reached at 303-665-0115 or by email at SamanthaBlack@TRUcare.org
Written by: Patti Chenis, WEC Team SupervisorContemplative Practices/ meditation/mindfulness are beneficial ways to strengthen our wellbeing, resilience, and develop a fuller capacity to recognize the healing power in ones heart to work with stress and difficult challenges.Mindfulness is knowing what you are doing as you are doing it. It is bringing awareness to your present moment lived experience. Bringing our attention to breathing is one of the most widely used objects of meditation and anchor for our attention. Continually coming back to the attention and awareness of our breath brings a sense of precision, (being in the present moment-connecting to our life force of breath) gentleness, (allowing whatever is arising e.g. thoughts, emotions, sensations to be as they are without judgement and returning to our awareness of breath) and openness ( being curious about the richness and fullness of our experience).Mindfulness can be developed as a formal practice on meditation cushion, chair, standing up, lying down or walking meditation. The point of meditation is to remember to bring mindfulness (that conscious awareness of being in our present lived experience) into daily life, so you could say any aspect our lives can be a mindfulness practice.Her are some thoughts about bringing mindfulness, loving kindness, self-compassion and compassion into daily life.Deep Conscious BreathsTaking some deep conscious breaths in the morning or whenever you feel stressed, anxious, overwhelmed or want a fresh restart in you daily life. Before you do something stress- full, step back and take some deep breaths; research shows deep breaths calm the nervous system.MovementWalking (especially getting out and enjoying nature), yoga, tai chi, qigong, dancing to your favorite music, laughter (full belly laughs can do wonders for the spirit-try it), singing your favorite song(s); crying (allow yourself to feel the release that crying can bring e.g. tears of sadness, joy) whatever gets your energy moving and flowing.Self-compassion and compassion practicesDispel the myths that self-compassion is selfish or that we are not worthy of love and wellbeing. Research show that offering words of loving kindness to oneself changes our brain and improves our resilience, strengthens our immune system and increases our capacity to be of benefit to others. When we feel resourced and have a sense of well-being our capacity to work with stress and difficult emotions is greater.Good morning Practice:Good morning (put your name here) I love you. You can repeat this in the morning or anytime during the day to interject some good will toward oneself or someone else in your life if it is difficult to say this about yourself at first.Compassion is not only feeling empathy and emotional connection to the suffering of others but also wanting to relieve that suffering. It is the courage to open our hearts to our own suffering as well as that of others and that we are all interconnected, in the same boat so to speak. We can offer words of care and loving kindness to ourselves, mentors (someone who has been kind to us) friends, strangers, difficult people, as well as to all beings as we open our heart of compassion to include all. May I and all beings have happiness, well-being, safety, health and live at ease and in harmony.
Written by: Natalie Davidson Admissions Team/Training & Education Coordinator, Windhorse Elder CareHappy Earth Day! While Earth Day is not an actual holiday, it is one of my favorite days of the year. It is an opportunity to celebrate this amazingly beautiful planet that we live on. It is a day for us to protect and conserve the earth. It is a chance for us to review the impact of our choices and how we can improve upon them. It is a day to remind us how we should show up for this planet not just on April 22, but every day of the year.Any effort to conserve the earth is important, but some are quite common while others are greatly overlooked. At this point, we all know the importance of recycling, limiting water usage when showering, brushing teeth or washing dishes, choosing a refillable water bottle over plastic, using reusable bags at the grocery store, skipping the plastic straw or using a glass or bamboo one instead, buying organic produce, limiting or eliminating our meat consumption and so on. What is less considered is the environmental impact of death. Yes, dying is a natural process and something that we will all go through. Some of the practices used post death however are less than natural and have a lasting impact on the environment. The good news is there are several options available that are kinder to the earth, and with this awareness we can make better informed decisions for ourselves or our loved ones. Having conversations and planning for how we want our body cared for after death is something that we can do! The power of these conversations and choices has the ability to leave a positive contribution to the earth, rather than a lasting toxic imprint that many of the traditional methods have.Conventional burial methods are extremely hard on the environment. With traditional practices, the body is embalmed to prevent decomposition. Chemicals that make up embalming fluid include formaldehyde, methanol, glutaraldehyde, dyes, disinfectants and other toxic substances. Over time these chemicals begin to leak into the earth. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, an estimated 827,000 gallons of embalming fluid is leaked into our waterways and soil every year. In addition to that, concrete vaults and wooden caskets covered in lacquer also leak chemicals into the earth, as well as taking up precious land space, preventing the growth of native plants and animal habitats.Cremation is a popular alternative to traditional burials. While in some ways it is more eco-friendly, there are other aspects of this process which can be harsh to the environment. Cremation requires a lot of energy and is typically sourced from natural gas. On average, the process takes about 2 hours to incinerate the body, and the temperature is held around 1600 degrees during that time. More of a concern than that is the emissions from the process. Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, hydrogen fluoride and mercury vapor are some of the gasses that are released as cremation takes place, and filtering these fumes does not prevent the toxins from being released into the air.Luckily there are other alternatives to conventional burial and cremation that are gentler to the environment. If the more traditional methods are appealing to you, you may opt for a green burial. This looks similar to a conventional burial with a few eco-friendly changes. The body is not embalmed with green burial and therefore decomposes naturally. In place of a casket, the body may be wrapped in an unbleached cloth shroud or placed in a biodegradable casket. Native plants and grasses often grow naturally at green burial sites and the use of chemical herbicides and pesticides that are applied to the grounds of traditional cemeteries are omitted.If cremation is what you are set on, there are some earth friendly changes that can be made. First, you can ask the cremation provider if they can recycle any pacemakers, medical devices or prosthetic limbs, rather than having them go to the landfill. For those who are wanting to bury the urn holding the remains, biodegradable options are available. Having the cremated remains mixed with soil and packed into a biodegradable urn can allow you or your loved one to grow into a tree or flowers. If the idea of being at sea is more appealing, you can have the remains mixed with an environmentally friendly cement mixture and then placed at sea, to help grow and create an artificial coral reef and restore aquatic life.A newer style of cremation, known as water cremation or aquamation, is a wonderful alternative to traditional cremation. With this process, the body is placed in a steel tube that is filled with 95% water and 5% potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide. The mixture is held at 350 degrees and the vessel is gently rocked from side to side for about 20 hours. This causes the body to dissolve, just leaving behind the skeleton, which is then ground into ash like in traditional cremation. The process uses 80% less energy as cremation, does not emit any chemicals, and the liquid solution remaining after the process makes a nutrient dense fertilizer for those who want to use it.In addition to making greener choices to how we dispose of the body of our loved one, there are other steps we can take to support the earth. Traditionally flowers are staple item for a funeral or memorial service. While this is a beautiful addition to a gravesite or gift to the grieving family, most of the flowers sold in the US are grown overseas with lots of chemicals and pesticides. Instead of purchasing traditional flowers, look for those that are local, organic or sustainably grown. Ask your florist if they can skip the foam and plastic that is often used in making wreaths and arrangements and use biodegradable materials instead. In lieu of flowers, consider asking for donations to you or your loved ones favorite charity. Another idea is having donations made to a carbon fund, to help offset the carbon emissions and environmental impact of the service and ceremony.Whatever you decide, know that your choices have lasting impacts. Though you may no longer be here to see that, your loved ones and the earth will feel the effects. With so many options available, it is easy to find something that honors your wishes while honoring the earth. Mindful, environmentally friendly choices will ensure your legacy includes a positive lasting imprint on this world.
Sunrise of Boulder is nestled in a quiet neighborhood with gorgeous mountain views next to a city park and bike path. We offer a variety of lifestyle, service and care options. By providing these choices, we not only offer solutions for today, but we provide the security of knowing that there are options for tomorrow. For further information, please call or visit our website.
Sunrise of Boulder is nestled in a quiet neighborhood with gorgeous mountain views next to a city park and bike path. We offer a variety of lifestyle, service and care options. By providing these choices, we not only offer solutions for today, but we provide the security of knowing that there are options for tomorrow. For further information, please call us or visit our website.