Building a connection through art
Most people, when they sit down to paint, have a plan. “I’ll paint a flower,” or “I’ll paint the beach.” When you free yourself from having to paint a specific thing, real art can come to life.
Emily Bullert, Therapeutic Recreation Director, recently completed a training focused on engaging people with dementia through art-making.
Opening Minds through Art (OMA) is an evidence-based, intergenerational art-making program for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other neurocognitive disorders. The program provides opportunities for creative self-expression and social engagement for people with dementia.
Upon the completion of the training, Emily and her activity team members have led several OMA projects.
“We love seeing all the different artwork done by our residents. Despite starting with the same prompts and using the same colors, every painting always comes out different. It’s so beautiful to see residents be inspired and take control of their artwork.”
-Emily Bullert, Therapeutic Recreation Director
A key concept of this program is pairing the artists with volunteers (students, families, caregivers) who are trained to rely on imagination instead of memory and focus on remaining strengths instead of lost skills.
As we continue to host these classes for our residents, we are looking for more volunteers to share their time within our care community.
“Volunteers have an opportunity to develop a strong relationship with a person with dementia,” said Emily. “Building a connection through volunteering is a deeply rewarding experience.”
If you are interested in attending a training session to become a trained OMA volunteer, contact Emily at 952-873-2124 or ejbullert@tlha.org.