Are Alzheimer’s Patients More Creative?
February 3, 2008 by Mary Emma Allen
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
At The Tangled Neuron, we learn about Donna Beveridge, in Creativity and Memory Loss. Since her retirement from teaching and receiving a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, Donna seems to have become much more creative.
The question arises…is this because she has Alzheimer’s? Or is it simply coincidental? Of course, now that Donna is retired, she has more time to spend on creative outlets.
However, I discovered, when my mom was in the nursing home with Alzheimer’s that many of the residents responded to creative activities. Arts and crafts, scrapbooking, even painting appealed to many of them. I worked with them on a scrapbooking and family history project which they and I enjoyed.
My mother-in-law didn’t have Alzheimer’s, but was slowly going blind. She’d never done watercolor painting in her life. But we have some lovely work she did, with the help of activity staff at the assisted living home, to remember her by.
If you haven’t encouraged the Alzheimer’s patient(s) under your care to try some creative activities, why now do so now? Perhaps they have hidden talents like Donna Beveridge and my mother-in-law.
Related Posts:
William Utermohlen Exhibition: Self Portrait of Alzheimer’s Disease
Art Therapy Helps Alzheimer’s Patients
Start a New Hobby and Experience Lower Risk of Alzheimer’s
(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen
As a recreation therapist, the creativity “door” is often opened from a familiar media. Fabric as a collage piece in creating greeting cards has been very successful for women who had sewn or quilted in the past. Pinking shears work well and are safer.
Thank you–excellent resource