Have you been feeling stressed or anxious? For those living with dementia, this is a common experience, but art may offer a soothing solution.
Central Coast Home Health and Hospice volunteers recently took a workshop to learn how art can be used to bring comfort and relaxation to patients in their care.
Tonya Oberndorfer, a volunteer artist, led the session, demonstrating how simple art activities can have a profound effect on patients. She encourages patients to break down their artwork shape by shape, making it easier for individuals with dementia to engage with the creative process.
“I keep coaching them to do other shapes, and after about 10, 15, 20 minutes, they’ve found that they’re relaxed and their mind is not spinning quite as bad,” she said.
One of the volunteers participating in the training was Kathy Yurman, a hospice volunteer who has experience using art with patients.
“I actually have had a long-term patient who colored with me a lot. That ended up being our main activity,” Yurman said. “I thought Tonya’s emphasis on not worrying about filling every space and leaving white spaces was helpful. Talking about shapes, rather than just colors was a great idea too.”
Oberndorfer pointed out that completing an art project gives patients a sense of accomplishment.
“Once we put it on here and sometimes, you know, we cut out a moon to go behind it, they just love it and they’re so proud to have something at the end of it,” she said.
Becoming a hospice volunteer requires three days of training, but the rewards are immeasurable.
“It’s gratifying in all kinds of ways,” Yurman said. “To be able to give a caregiver who’s exhausted a little free time just to go for a walk, to make connections with people I might not otherwise make connections with, and just to learn about life and other people. It’s been pretty great.”
Even for the volunteers themselves, participating in art exercises had quite a calming effect.
“It did relax me today,” Yurman said. “It was fun, and the camaraderie of being with the other volunteers was great. It was mostly playful and fun for me today.”
Central Coast Home Health and Hospice is always looking for volunteers to engage in activities like this and provide companionship to patients. Those interested in becoming a volunteer can email hospice@cchh08.com. The next training session begins on Feb. 21.
