Art and memory: how art can help those with dementia. From the article:

Duke University’s Nasher Museum of Art tailors tours for people with dementia and their care partners.

“It’s really amazing to see how the visual stimulus of the artwork can tap into people’s memories,” said Jessica Ruhle, director of education at Nasher. “It can really engage people verbally at a time when language can be a real struggle.” According to Ruhle, the Reflections program is a partnership with Duke’s Family Support Program. Health experts say a tour through the art museum can help clear the mind.

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America recently announced a grant to fund the Reflections program. The foundation points to health benefits of art therapy programs including increased socialization, improved mood and a decrease in depression and anxiety. “It’s a great way to reconnect with the person you love as an individual,” Ruhle said. “When we first sit down with a work of art, we simply ask the visitor what it is that they see. What’s happening? What’s going on in the work of art? And it really doesn’t require any additional memory or recollection on the part of the visitor.”…

To keep the conversation flowing, a live music performer sometimes accompanies the discussion of the art with iconic musical emblems of the past. “People can talk about musical memories they have, like their favorite songs, and where they were when they heard some of the performers,” Ruhle said.

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