The Impacts of the Arts On Those With Dementia
As Dementia progresses, it brings a lack of effective treatments for those affected. Currently, 47.5 million individuals are grappling with dementia, and an additional 7.7 million are expected to receive diagnoses each year. With the increasing number of diagnoses, there's a decline in social interactions and activities crucial for mental well-being. It's vital for individuals to have access to creativity, self-expression, and social engagement. Hence, the arts have emerged as an ideal avenue for those with dementia to reclaim forms of self-expression and rediscover a sense of identity.
The arts encompass a versatile array of skills that facilitate communication, retention, and memory enhancement. A study conducted by the Global Atlantic Fellow, aimed to discover the cognitive effects of arts engagement on dementia patients. Analyzing the records of dementia patients, researchers compared a total of 17 patients who had begun engaging in the arts with the remainder of those who had not. They matched patients based on the same dementia variant, disease stage, age, sex, and education level. Scientists focused on studying the frontal lobe areas of the brain and other regions controlling social behaviors. It was found that individuals who embraced more creative approaches exhibited increased activation in their visual processing areas. Dementia patients often struggle with word understanding and pronunciation, yet it was observed that as language abilities declined, those involved in artistic activities flourished in visual creativity. Remarkably, the majority of these patients had no prior artistic experience either. This innovative approach fosters enhanced brain activity through mental exercise, ultimately contributing to overall cognitive strength.
Art serves as a therapeutic outlet for patients grappling with memory loss, enabling them to cope with the associated impacts. Often, feelings of frustration and sadness accompany patients' struggles. Serving as a means of communication, art enables patients to fully immerse themselves in their creative endeavors. At Oye, we are dedicated to fostering Healing Rooms, which serve as art therapy workshops for individuals living with dementia, providing them with opportunities for self-expression. We strongly believe in supporting these patients and recognize the importance of granting them access to such beneficial and soothing outlets, allowing them to escape from their thoughts and wholeheartedly engage in art.
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