ARTZ offers persons with Alzheimer's, with one-on-one support and the accompaniment of a trained volunteer, cycles of adapted visits to art museums. Participatory, reciprocal engagement experiences benefit the person with dementia, volunteer, and caregiver. The interaction with culture contributes to the prevention of the loss of autonomy through a structured methodology which permits the stimulation of cognitive, motor, or relational capacities in these individuals.
Over 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease. By the year 2050 we expect 580 million new cases, which shows how gigantic this phenomenon really is. There is no cure in sight and patients can live as long as 20 years following diagnosis. Nearly 60 percent of Alzheimer's caregivers rate the emotional stress of caregiving as high or very high and more than one-third report symptoms of depression.
It's a strong necessity today to improve quality of life for people with Alzheimer's and their families, reduce fear and stigma, and contribute to the social integration of persons living with Alzheimer's. Beyond satisfaction of basic needs, the patient needs to be able to lead a life with a sense of purpose, with a sense of value, and which provides a sense of well-being. Too often, for patients, the lack of social life and emotional contact contributes to the cognitive decline.
This program requires your precious implication to grow. This program represents a unique offering of respite time for family members through the involvement of volunteers, and an opportunity to deeply change the way this disease is perceived in the community.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
