Breaking new creative ground in self-expression while building fulfilling connections is at the heart of Opening Minds Through Art (OMA).
"Every year, we offer Opening Minds Through Art to the community. The whole focus is to enrich the quality of life for people living with dementia," explained Helle Tees, who facilitates the program along with Carlene Wagner, seniors coordinator for Lacombe FCSS.
She said the program also gives the artists an opportunity to make creative choices, and ultimately it’s stimulating for the brain’s right side.
OMA partners with Red Deer Polytechnic Social Work students. And throughout the 10-week program, they build relationships as they work on art projects together, she said.
"Each week, we do a different project. It's always about making choices with the art selection. We provide the material, and we show the students when they come in, so they feel confident in what it is they will be offering to our artists.
"The students then meet the artists at the door, and invite them in. We have a meet and greet, we make name tags, and we do a little assessment on how they are feeling that day at the beginning of the program and also when we are done," she said.
"We then sing a sing - we sing You are My Sunshine. And we finish the session by singing This Little Light of Mine."
Upon completion of each session, each work is titled and will later be set up for an art show in early December at the LMC.
The works will be up for silent auction, and the proceeds will go to support the OMA program.
Meanwhile, the program was launched in 2017 and has included students from various educational programs to work with the artists as well.
“It’s beneficial for students because they learn about communication and about being present in the moment,” said Tees. "Learning to be quiet in the presence of others is a skill that is very hard to come by - it's a learned skill."
Opening Minds Through Art is part of the Dementia Friendly Community Initiative which was launched in Lacombe a few years ago.
For Tees, it’s an incredibly enriching experience to help with the facilitation of the program.
"It is research-based. We are following a program we know has been tested. It's about success, and it's about learning to be present in someone else's company," she said.
"There are aspects of people's minds we don't tap into in caregiving, because we can be very task-focused," said Tees. "How do you reach the inner person that may no longer be able to articulate their thoughts, or their decision-making choices?
"Art, music, and painting - and some of those aspects of our right brain - I think we need to tap into these areas more, for quality of life to be continuing in our community. That is what we are aiming for. We are just one part of helping to make Lacombe more 'dementia-friendly' by offering these programs.
She said it's a joy seeing the reaction of the artists when they see what they have created.
"Some will say, I can't do this - I'm not an artist. But when they are done the artwork, we put it in a frame, and hold it up. You see their expressions and the smiles! They often will say, 'I did that? I can't believe I did that'!"
For now, it's too late to sign up for the current session, but Tees said they are always looking for volunteers to help in future OMA sessions.
For more information about OMA, visit www.lacombefcss.net/programs.
