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Getting A Little Lost In The Art

Jennifer Wing
/
KPLU
A session of the Here-Now program at Frye Art Museum in Seattle. People living with Alzheimer's and dementia expereince a stronger sense of "self" and independence as they discuss art.

For people living with dementia and Alzheimer’s, there is a lot of loss. As memory begins to fade, and reliance on others for daily needs increases, a person loses a sense of self and independence.

 

There is a program at Frye Art Museum in Seattle where people with dementia and Alzheimer’s can get lost, in a good way. Twice a month, the Frye leads tours specifically designed to give this population a break from their disease. It’s called the Here-Now program. Care partners, spouses, kids and hired help who look out for people living with dementia also take part in these sessions.

 

Roger Stocker and his wife of 45 years, Laura Stocker, are regulars at Here-Now tours. These events give them a chance to revisit how they were as a couple, before Alzheimer’s entered their relationship.  

 

“When I come into here, I really feel wonderful,” says Roger.

 

For Laura Stocker, when she is here with her her husband, she doesn't have to worry.  "As the care partner, this can become the haven that is safe." 

 

Mary Jane Knecht, the manager of creative aging programs at the Frye, modeled Here-Now after a similar program at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

 

“It’s designed both for the person living with dementia and the care partner to share an experience at the museum together but also to have independence and to have opportunity for personal growth on their own,” says Knecht.

 

Researchers have found that the individuals who participate in these programs come away with a better sense of self and personhood.

Palliative care doctors are studying Here-Now, to see how the positive experience it creates can be replicated for people with Alzheimer’s and their care partners, outside of a museum.     

Jennifer Wing is a former KNKX reporter and producer who worked on the show Sound Effect and Transmission podcast.