Brain Therapy Through Art at Riverview Assisted Living Community

by Donna Steiermann, Executive Director at The Bridges

Having spent the majority of my last 30 years of gainful employment in the Senior Healthcare arena, it is rare that I come across new and exciting programs that add significant quality to the lives of seniors, particularly those suffering from cognitive impairment. Art Without Boundaries is one such program. Art Without Boundaries utilizes the art of painting to help residents with cognitive impairment to find new ways of learning through improved attentiveness and increased coordination, verbal skills, and impulse control. The end result is a truly beautiful work of art.

Craig Todd, a certified Mneme® therapist, is the facilitator of Art Without Boundaries here at The Bridges. Following an initial informational meeting about his program, which was attended by both family members and staff, Craig has been making visits to The Bridges three times monthly working with a number of our residents for the past three years. The end result of Craig’s private 30-minute session with a resident has produced not only a wonderful keepsake for the resident and family, but an experience that compares to little else. Residents look forward to spending quality time engaged in this activity that goes beyond “arts and crafts.” According to Art Without Boundaries literature, “it’s all about the brain.”

For more information about Art Without Boundaries, visit their website at www.artwithoutboundaries.org

Craig Todd works with Mary Berry to create her masterpiece.

Painting by Mary Berry