Old movies via DVDs, as well as CDs of big band music or other favorites of our elders’ generation have long been used as a diversionary tactic. Now, Artists for Alzheimer’s (ARTZ) is spotlighting a new way that movies can be used to enhance the lives of people with Alzheimer’s disease. ARTZ is a nonprofit based in Woburn, Mass. that creates cultural opportunities for people with dementia and their caregivers.
Their program, Meet me at the Coolidge…and make memories, is an interactive film program for people with memory loss and their care partners.
“Short clips from classic films are shown, followed by audience discussion and reminiscence, guided by a moderator. This program demonstrates how film can be a form of treatment for some of the symptoms associated with memory loss, Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. The cinema has the power to connect us with our deep-rooted emotional memories - the kind that never leave us.”
An article on AARP’s website features an interview with program coordinator Peggy Cahill. According to the article, Cahill “noticed something interesting on the feedback forms she received from nursing staff and family members…dementia participants came away with more positive moods than usual and a greater attention span that lasted beyond the theater experience…caregivers reported a reduction of symptoms often associated with Alzheimer's, including anxiety, aggression, apathy and agitation.”
Reminiscing is powerful medicine
My dad had dementia brought on by a failed brain surgery meant to help stave off effects of a World War II brain injury. During his ten years of dementia, DVDs were not readily available, but CDs were. I bought so many CDs that I swear I kept websites that offered big band music in business during those years. It was worth every penny I spent.
I bought dad a bandleader’s baton so that he could “direct” the music on the CDs. When he was in an “awake mood,” or if he was agitated, often turning on Lawrence Welk’s versions of big band music, or a re-mastered recording via CD of Benny Goodman playing swing music improved his spirits, if only temporarily. Depending on his mood, Dad would direct the band or drum away on his lap. I even got him a small keyboard, though that experiment wasn’t too successful.
The idea was to distract Dad from his current state of confusion and loss, and help him to mentally get back into a time when he enjoyed himself. The music itself was therapeutic, and the memories the music invoked added to the experience. Old movies would have done much the same thing.
Family caregivers can get some tips from ARTZ
While most of us aren’t able to take advantage of the ARTZ program – geography being an issue – we caregivers can take some tips from their approach. When a loved one with AD is agitated or seems to be in a wandering mood, having a stash of DVDs from the era when your elders were young, probably the 1930s through the 1950s, can have an almost magical effect. One source for movies and music for people with AD is the Alzheimer’s Store at www.alzstore.com.
