• Do watch it.

  My impressions:

  The importance of activities such as art is stressed. Examples are given. I was going to write "of patients participating." One of the experts hated the word patient used for us. He feels that once a person is labeled patient, all feel the person can no longer do anything. Finding out the things a person can still do is so important. 

  SOUND FAMILIAR?

  There is an in-depth report about the woman in Chicago, a former artist, who first said, "I Remember Better When I Paint." It happened much differently and over a longer period of time than I remembered.

  Time was also given to other art activities such as collage and sculpture.

  The importance of all activities was stressed.

  The value of guided trips to art museums or studios was stressed.

  Now, as you watch it, let us know how you reacted.

  You can be notified when others respond to this thread by going just above this box and the top right and hitting the first box on the left. You'll get a new page and you hit subscribe e. Then you'll get san e-mail when atone else responds. 

  neat, eh.  Every now and then I remember it. It's not there when you are responding. 

   

Mimi...so glad you watched. The woman from Chicago was the mother of my friend Berna.

I hope I subscribed  successfully...pretty neat if it works and if I did it correctly

Was Berma the daughter who was interviewed?  Have you seen the film?

The work with her that the volunteers at the Art Institute school  did was something I don't remember reading about.

Tell me about your post graduate degree in Human Relations and Art History. Almost sounds as though you would make a perfect docent at your local art museum.

BTW. I lived in the Chicago suburbs. Spent many an hour at the Art Museum with and without my kids. One daughter took some courses there. Must have been one summer. I don't remember.

Also as a teacher, there was often  (maybe always) an open house with wonderful refreshments, to encourage us to bring or students there. 

All the museums in Chicago were so convenient.

Berna is filmed in several places....She is the woman in the dark suit on the floor taking works of her mother out of a box.

Berna was always doing something interesting and if you have a moment google her and her husband.

Yes, Chicago was/is wonderful. I miss it a lot especially this time of year when the leaves turn.

Those of you who live where there will be no showing, like here in OK, can watch some of it on several UTUBE clips.

How about a letter to your local PBS station? Get your local Aliz. Assoc. and all support groups involved in your push.

Berma's last name so I can google her? I think I remember she is an artist.

Berna Gorenstein Huebner.....husband is Lee. 

I have tried for two years to get things rolling here in OKC.  No takers yet!

Thanks for the information. Wow, what an impressive couple. 

Quoted from one of the google links:

Here are a couple of sites where you can find the listing of when it will be shown or find it online. 

http://www.irememberbetterwhenipaint.com/ (This is an article, so you will have to scroll down to find if it's showing in your area). 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1595878/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 (I think there is a link on this site so you can watch it, but I can't figure out how. Please let me know if you were able to get to the video.) 

As a newly dx person with dementia the more I think about all this hype about the art programs with persons with dementia the more angry I feel. The anger is not with  persons with dementia or the caregivers but the medical and psychology fields and the US health care systems. Neither am in disagreement with the concept that art has therapeutic benefits for persons with dementia. 

Is this all they have for us so far! Art! Really. The most rudimentary of all the therapies is art therapy. This is not a medical breakthrough, rocket science or some new concept! Art therapy has been proven to be therapeutically beneficial across all types of dx and illnesses for many years.

 Pardon me if I am not overly excited about my future treatment protocol of going on trips to museums and painting with watercolors!!! I can hardly draw a stick figure!

It is pathetic that decades later they now have just gotten around to treating persons with dementia with art therapy and funding these types of programs!

Moreover, I doubt that the state funded nursing homes that many of us average persons will be placed in will even have such programs and trips to museums. It's all getting blown out of proportion and propagandized. In other words, look at the great work we are doing in working with persons with dementia. Not so great IMO!

I am angry at the disease but also at the way in which it has been discounted and ignored throughout it's history! 

*&%*#*%#! (cursing therapy).

Hi Lee,

And the financial impact! We have to make first society and then our state and national representatives take part in the solution. 

And keep hoping that making a big financial commitment to research will pay off in the future she we can conquer or better control the disease.

I get that you are angry Lee....I am too. My husband is angry also. Actually I do not know anyone here that is not angry however I do not get why you are angry with an idea for improving the situation we are all in. 

I do not know anything about "art therapy" but will take you word for it being beneficial to many for different reasons. What I took away from "I Remember Better When I Paint" is that visual expression can be a form of communication when speech fails. It falls in line with music and dance. One does not need to be a composer to hum along with music nor does one need to be Pavlova to tap ones feet. 

If I hum along, tap with or put great globs of yellow on a piece of paper with my husband we are communicating. It does raise our quality of life. 

I believe that what takes us on a detour from this road we are on refreshes us...enriches us.  

I shared this resource with my fellow caretakers as an avenue to try...we are always looking for a way to connect.  All it takes is a piece of paper and some sidewalk chalk or a box of crayons, preferably broken in pieces. Some stickers might be nice too. 

Were  you here with me on this dreary, cold day I would love to  sit at the kitchen table in front of the fire with a big box of "art stuff" and drink hot chocolate or wine if you prefer. Stick figures optional!

I know exactly where you're coming from, Ilee.  You're looking for a pill or a shot to treat this, like for other diseases.  For example, 20 years ago, a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS was a 2 year death sentence.  Now, after extensive and expensive research, medications allow people to live with HIV/AIDS and in some cases to become cured.  The same for many of the cancers.  Nowadays, many people can be cured of cancer.  Where is OUR treatment? 

The HIV/AIDS population was given awareness by ACT-UP, who were activists for that cause.  We don't have activists.  We have patients and caregivers and providers who are paid to provide for us.  No activists. 

Nevertheless, like Mimi says, there is reason to hope.  Researchers are working on treatments and cures.  It takes time and money.  The first thing it takes is awareness and hope.  My personal feeling is that people think this is an old person's disease, so they are not too worried about it.  But dementia affects the younger population, and even in the older population, the effects manifest in the entire family and in the community. 

I was encouraged by the moderator, who I believe was Dr. John Zeisel, who stated that short term memory is irrevelant to what they are doing.  This lets me know that patients can be functional and have a good quality of life without a well functioning short term memory.  Other activities besides art can be good quality of life activities for the person with dementia. 

An analogy might be this:  when a person becomes blind, they are taught how to live without sight.  They still can have a good quality of life.  They are taught work-arounds to compensate for no vision.  In the same fashion, people with dementia can be taught work-arounds to compensate for having no short term memory.  This is where art can work.  Art can be a pathway to other fulfilling activities, or other activities can be started immediately. 

Compensatory tactics don't cure blindness.  Art won't cure dementia.  But we need them to live fulfilling lives. 

I spent almost 3 years with two PhD psychologists, and never once was any compensatory tactic brought up.  On the contrary, they did not want to discuss my memory loss at all.  They wanted to sweep it under the rug and ignore it.  What is the point of that?  I'm angry too, but I'm angry about not getting any acknowledgement from high level professionals who should know the most about what I am dealing with.  I have given up expecting any help from that group of jackels.  This is how I think of them in my mind.  Jackels! 

What I have learned from the members here, and why I appreciate you all so much, is learning how to live with this in my everyday life.  I can't wait on a miraculous cure for my everyday life.  I need help NOW!  I need  to know about Best Practices, about stress, about sleep, about aromatherapy, about dealing with depression, about light therapy, about music, about exercise, about handling my money, about travel, about communicating with family, about friends who disappear, about disclosing, about dealing with doctors, about end stage arrangements, and about acceptance.  This is not a total list.   

A documentary has been made about art therapy.  I thought too, how much money has been put into these art programs and paying for art professors and artists?  Art is fine, but it is not the total answer.  Beaver Dams on the Caregiver board, recommends that patients volunteer at an animal shelter or a food bank.   

That got me thinking.  Alz+ is always talking about the joy she receives from her dog.  Many patients love animals and feel comfortable around animals.  Perhaps animal care becomes our "go-to" activity?  Personally, I would prefer animal care over art therapy.  Animals don't mind if we forget their names.  They just want love, and we can give love.  We don't lose our ability to love and to care for others. 

So little attention is directed towards dementia, that we may have to appreciate whatever is put out.  The movie, "Still Alice" is showing in selected theaters now.  I have issues with the way dementia is portrayed, but at least there is a movie about it!  Perhaps, one day, we can make our own movies, just as some patients have written their own books about their own stories.   

Still Alice is a novel written by a therapist.  The movie was directed by a person with ALS.  If he could do it, why can't one of us?   I know, somewhere in the movie world,  someone has early stage dementia, and can use his or her experience to make an original, reality based documentary for us. 

We have to hold on.  In the meantime, we each have do to what we can to make our lives better right now! 

Iris L. 

"I Remember Better When I Paint" is coming to my area tonight.  It's 15 days after the end of November, but, better late than never.  I look forward to viewing it. 

Iris L. 

I was impressed with the program, "I Remember Better When I Paint."  In the words of one of the doctors, art bypasses the limitations of dementia.  They are impressed with the therapeutic uses of art.  Art therapy can be just as effective as drug therapy.  I'd like to see more evidence of this claim, nevertheless.

Iris L. 

My opinion: a variety of activities that connect with different parts of the brain is probably best. 

Looking at art is good, but actively responding to it is better. My opinion again, tempera and clay are two excellent mediums. Be sure the clay is pliable. Making it yourself is cheap. Finger paints are also good. Just thin down the tempera paints.

Music: Listening to oldies is great, but better is up and moving to the music. or responding with some type of musical instrument or singing along. 

Great points, Mimi. 

They made the point in the program that these activities don't require the use of short term memory.  So they are doable for people with short term memory loss.

Iris L.