ALZHEIMER FAMILY MEMBERS ASSISTANCE GROUP

Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia affect the brain, the most sophisticated and complex organ of the body, causing sufferers to gradually lose their memory and other cognitive functions. As the illness progresses, also the preceding levels of personal independence are gradually lost, with negative repercussions on behaviour and level of self-esteem of both sufferer and carers. In the vast majority of cases no cure has yet been found for these illnesses. It is however possible to improve the quality of life of sufferers and their carers, both by means of various pharmacological treatments which, although unable to provide healing, can delay the onset of severe cognitive-functional problems by several years, and thanks to non-pharmacological activities and interventions (with a wider scope of attention of self-psycho-social nature), capable of improving the emotional-psychological and functional conditions of the sufferer, thus changing the sphere of personal satisfaction positively. The purpose of the project is to insert treatment methods linked to art (music, painting, sculpture, singing, museum trips with multi-sensory exploration...) in a global approach to patients with medium – mild levels of dementia and their family members/operators in residential/semi-residential centres, in order to achieve an
improvement:
• of cognitive functions and independence of the sufferer;
• of negative aspects of behaviour linked to the progress of the illness ;
• of the quality of relations between sufferers and their family / operators.

For these reasons, the project envisages the participation of both Alzheimer patients and their family members or operators of the structures in which the patient resides, in order to facilitate the assimilation of the therapeutic art itineraries by the largest possible number of people involved and disseminating these expressive- therapeutic methods in their daily life. The project also involves the production of a short video to document various moments of the experience and attract interest for future participations, including the voices of the participants and the impressions of the professionals and voluntary workers involved.