Arnold Bresky, a preventive gerontologist, uses art therapy in his work with Alzheimer’s and dementia patients.
Twelve years ago, Bresky began working with patients on preventing memory loss, developing a program he calls “Brain Tune Up”. Besides drawing and painting, it includes a mult-disciplinary approach that also uses music. And, his program is covered by Medicare.
He recently introduced his program to 8 residents at the Sunrise Senior Living facility in Woodland Hills, CA. He got each of them to draw the face of a person by “copying lines and patterns from one sheet of paper to a grid on another sheet”. The result: the participants all produced renderings of the face and were excited to discuss what they had done. And, they exercised their brains. Bresky says this type of activity connects both sides of the brain. “We’re getting the brain to grow new cells. It’s called brain plasticity. The brain changes physically to the environment”.
Bresky says, “My program improves the memory function to enhance a person’s quality of life”.
He now teaches his program to caregivers, nursing students and through his book, “Brain Tune Up: The Secret for Caregiver Success”. If you live in the Los Angeles area, some of Bresky’s artwork is on display this month at City Hall.
(Source: http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation/story/1250801.html
