“…My mantra is if medicine is keeping people alive longer with dementia, it’s a crime not to give them a life worth living.”
If any one person has structured my own thoughts into a powerful sentence, it’s John Zeisel, in the above quote. Zeisel is the president of Woburn-based Hearthstone Alzheimer Care, which runs six residences in Massachusetts and New York where they care for people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Zeisel also co-founded, in 2002, “Artists for Alzheimer’s,” or ARTZ, a nonprofit organization that develops cultural experiences for people with dementia.
A story that ran on Boston.com, titled Memories, unlocked Artists for Alzheimer’s aims to keep those living with dementia connected and engaged, beautifully written by staff-writer Linda Matchan, delves into how the arts affect people with Alzheimer’s and other dementia.
This story reminds me of my dad, who had dementia as a result of failed brain surgery. I found that big band music from his youth brought him joy, so I purchased every big band CD I could find, and went through several CD players in order to keep the big band greats alive for Dad. He also enjoyed Lawrence Welk, so I bought CDs of Welk’s music, and made sure “The Lawrence Welk Show,” which our local public TV station carried, was turned on for Dad each week.
The Boston.com story needs to be read to be appreciated. Matchan quotes enthused elders with Alzheimer’s as they exclaim excitedly when hearing music or watching an old movie saying, “I remember…!”
These folks do remember, and remembering brings them joy. People with Alzheimer’s may not remember if they had breakfast that day, but many remember vividly their childhood best friends. They may not remember their spouse as he or she looks today, but they remember childhood sweethearts. That’s why I personally recommend people use old photo albums as a way to start conversations with people who have dementia.
The arts can frequently touch a person with Alzheimer’s, when little else will. Music, of course, has long been a proven communicator. “When words fail music speaks” is a maxim that few can argue with. Try playing a recording of an old hymn the next time you visit an elder with Alzheimer’s. If he or she was a church attending child, you will likely see a spark of remembrance.
The article mentions the TV show “I Love Lucy,” music from “Fiddler on the Roof” and the musical “Oklahoma” as memory triggers for elders. I’ve also read books and articles about hands-on art experiences such as sculpting and water color painting which have brought joy to people with dementia.
The quoted words from Zeisel, in this article, are all on target. He says, “People think they can’t learn, but they can…They think they can’t remember things, but they can. They think they don’t have a sense of self, but they do. They know who they are.”
Most of us have been around people with Alzheimer’s where it’s evident that they are being physically cared for, but little or no effort is put into stimulating them so they can remember with the part of their brain still available to them – their long-term memory. In these situations, the disease can quickly take over and a glum, pre-death atmosphere reigns. However, when we go into a room of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias where music or movies from their past are provided, we can sense the difference. Many, if not most, of the people will be responding on some level – many with joy.
There is someone in there. We can’t forget that when we care for people with dementia. Science has kept many of these people alive through advanced medical care. It’s our responsibility to do what we can to make the life that they have left actually worth living.
Posted in Alzheimer’s, Dementia | No Comments »Tags: Alzheimer’s, Dementia, memory issues
