Sometimes, when a member of Oakwood Creative Care is invited to join in on one of our many dementia friendly art classes, their initial response is, “No way! I’m no artist!” But, with a bit of guidance and a whole lot of encouragement from our amazing engagement specialists, many of the seniors in our Day Clubs have come to think of art as one of their favorite pastimes!

Although they may have Alzheimer’s, dementia, or other cognitive or physical challenges, trust us when we say that absolutely nothing can get in the way of our members experiencing the magic of creativity.

In many studies, art has proven to be a method for firing up new neurological pathways within the brain, unleashing a whole new world of communication and engagement for aging adults.

Thanks to something called neuroplasticity, art therapy has the power to tap into both sides of the brain, wherein each side is responsible for operating specific functions within the body.

With art, both sides of the brain are encouraged to work together in a complementary, healing fashion, mending a new pathway around any roadblocks created by progressive diseases or conditions. 

From the moment you step into any of Oakwood’s Adult Day Clubs, you’ll be immediately greeted with wall-to-wall displays of the many colorful and vibrant artworks hand-crafted by our beloved senior members. We love having everyone’s artistic accomplishments put on display because, when we browse through the canvases and paper, we see no definition of the artists’ diagnoses; there’s no label anywhere that says “this person has dementia” or “this person suffered a stroke.” Instead, we get to see an all-encompassing and eye-opening reflection of their personality and the world as they see it — all in bright, vivid detail.