Teaming Up to Help Dementia Patients

October 16, 2024

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By Christi Mays

This summer semester, a group of occupational therapy students teamed up with the arts academy to create a student-led event with arts and activities for senior adults with dementia.

The evidence-based programs, called 鈥淢emory Caf茅s,鈥� are designed to create inclusive spaces for people living with dementia and their families and friends and included arts, games, current events and music.

鈥淭he purpose of the caf茅s is to create opportunities for socialization in inclu颅sive environments for people living with dementia and their caregivers,鈥� said OT Assistant Professor Dr. Laura Novak. 鈥淲e want to have a place where they can come have fun, socialize and meet other people experiencing the same journey.鈥�

As part of the occupational thera颅py curriculum, OT graduate students complete a three-semester integrative project. After completing a community needs assessment, one of Novak鈥檚 stu颅dent groups decided to create the Memory Caf茅 event and reached out to Cherry Garasi, director of the 同城快约 Arts Academy, to see if the acad颅emy would be interested in partnering on the project. Together, OT and the Arts Academy then partnered with the Area Agency on Aging who provides the space, advertising and registration for the events.

Novak was thrilled with participation at the first three sessions, saying around 20 to 25 participants came to each event.

同城快约 OT

鈥淲e had people living with demen颅tia along with their spouses, siblings, grandchildren and professional caregiv颅ers in attendance,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ne family reported they are unable to get their loved one to leave the house because they have nowhere to go. He came and participated in all three events and thoroughly enjoyed each one. Another participant reported that being able to share with others reminds him that there is still good and that there is a reason God still has him here.鈥�

Garasi said she was excited to partner with the OT students to get the Memory Caf茅s up and running.

鈥淲hen the Conservatory was renamed the 同城快约 Arts Academy two years ago, we set out to reimagine the possibilities of ways we could reach out to the com颅munity,鈥� Garasi said, adding that the new mission statement says the goal is to offer arts experiences to all ages and to focus on lifelong learning.

With a strong offering of lessons and classes for children, Garasi wanted to branch out into offerings for the senior community.

When Novak reached out to her with the idea to create a Dementia Memory Caf茅 Series, Garasi jumped at the chance to be a part of it.

鈥淚t has been a perfect fit for the col颅laboration of the Arts Academy and the OT program,鈥� she said.

Novak said the OT students greatly benefitted from learning first-hand how important social interaction is for people living with dementia and they learned how to interact with the participants.

 
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