Media Process: Found object collage
Population: Older adults
Disorder: Dementia
Dementia in older adults can present itself in a variety of ways. Those suffering from dementia may experience an onslaught of comorbidities including depression and other health risks depending on the severity. Studies have shown that what may be most beneficial when working with older adults with dementia is working on behavioral approaches (Gatz, 1994). Ideally, this intervention would be best practiced with older adults with mild to moderate symptomatology who are still high functioning and have the wherewithal to follow simple instructions and use materials appropriately. Found object collage can be incredibly engaging and sensory-based. When I created my piece the smells and textures brought me into a state of presence that was thoroughly enjoyable and grounding. The experience was reminiscent of playing as a child outside and the impermanence of the piece itself freed me of self-criticism of a final product. Dementia patients are unique in that working with them is not about "getting through", recovery, or developing new skills for life practice, it's more so about maintenance. With older adults, there is a beauty in working through end of life, a transformative process of coming to terms with mortality and it is accelerated by something like dementia. In Craft in Art Therapy (2020) a client spoke to working with clay stating "you can make anything, depending on how you mold it" referring to transforming materials and recreating symbols and I couldn't help but think about taking found objects and turning them into part of a new and potentially temporary piece mixed collage piece and the opportunity to experience the here-and-now with symbolic or meaningful personal items.
References:
Leone, L. (Ed.). (2020). Craft in Art Therapy: Diverse Approaches to the Transformative Power of Craft Materials and Methods. Routledge.
Gatz, M. (1994). Neuropsychological Assessment of Dementia and Depression in Older Adults: A Clinician's Guide. American Psychological Association.