Reaching Those With Memory Impairments Through Art

Tuesday evening, Montserrat intern Loren Doucette presented the body of artwork created by clients with Alzheimer’s Disease and other memory impairments at the Spectrum Adult Day Health program located in Beverly’s Cummings Center. Paintings in watercolor and oils were displayed around the facility’s main room where Doucette spoke about her experience and discussed many of the paintings. Doucette, a junior painting concentrator, explained that she was able to reach clients through art because a creative part of the brain called the amygdala continues to function. At times poignant and moving, the talk included examples of emotional connections that can be made through art with people in advanced stages of memory loss.