James had late-stage Alzheimer’s, and Mary had been his wife 48 years, the last seven of which James had resided in a facility. He wandered incessantly, mumbling to himself and avoiding eye contact. Mary visited every day but doubted James was even aware of her presence. Mary was hesitant to participate in our weekly picture communication workshop, thinking James wasn’t capable or be able to sit still

A common complaint of those caring for a loved one with dementia is feeling drained. Of course, the 24/7 care is exhausting, but could that “vampire visited in the night” feeling be about something else? What I’m about to write might seem like science fiction, however, it’s actually science fact. Our bodies are not solid. Now, try to follow me on this. Our bodies are actually composed

Collage Conversations during Dementia Magazine pictures and collage making are effective tools for communicating with people with dementia even in later non-verbal stages. Years ago, a small nursing home hired me to create an all-inclusive art activity; the majority of the residents had dementia and couldn’t do art. Mixed media collage has been my passion for years so I created a collage activity with families acting as

The benefits of art during dementia are many. Whether the person with dementia was an artist or not makes no difference. It is a way for them to express themselves and it can diminish depression and anxiety and increase their wanting to interact socially. True Story: He was a famous artist amongst the elite; you could tell by his art’s price tags. He was known as an