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Saucon Valley Residents Unlock Holiday Spirit Through Art Therapy

This week at Saucon Valley Manor, the activities staff held a holiday painting event. The event, similar to popular public painting classes, consisted of the activities instructors helping the residents to paint a similar piece of Winter artwork – all with their own unique, personalized twist.

Did you know art therapy can be a useful and fulfilling activity to help those who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. It can increase the quality of life for those suffering and become a way of expression, even after other types of communication start to fail? USA Today talks about some of the benefits of using arts therapy with Alzheimer’s. Art can “awaken responses” and “help unlock glimmers of understanding for patients experiencing memory loss.”

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A Study reveals unlocking and promoting artistic skills can actually help patients communicate.

Art partially returns what seniors who are suffering, have lost from the crippling diseases. A study published in the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, reveals that patients use their artistic skills to communicate with family and doctors at St. Micheal’s Hospital in Toronto. The study focused on a patient named Mary Hecht. Due to severe vascular dementia, she was unable to recall common words or animals, but she was able to sketch intricate and precise drawings from her memories.

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Anxiety and feelings of isolation are decreased while mastery over their surroundings is cultured. Art, dance and music inspire people suffering from these frustrating circumstances to connect with others. Therapeutic art programs stimulate their mind and reduce symptoms of aggressive behavior because of the enlightening opportunities that they bring.*

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*Source: Arttherapyblog.com