A Free Interactive Program for People with Dementia and Family Caregivers

Specific activities include showing several short, classic film clips, followed by audience discussion. Facilitators engage the audience in reminiscence by highlighting universal themes, such as family, travel, hobbies, and work. The program serves a culturally and socio-economically diverse group of over 1,000 people with dementia and their family caregivers annually.

The ARTZ mission is to enrich the cultural life of people living with dementia, enable them to express their inner-selves, and lessen the stigma that often accompanies a diagnosis. ARTZ has collaborated on the creation of Alzheimer's disease-specific access programs with some of the worlds most renowned and respected cultural institutions. Since its inception in 2001, ARTZ has organized and facilitated over 400 free community events, serving more than 10,000 people living with dementia and their caregivers. Sean Caulfield, Co-Founder of ARTZ, recently responded to the following questions:

What are the historical context and purpose of the Meet Me at the Movies...and Make Memories Program? What prompted its development?

In 2006 ARTZ had formed collaborations and accessibility programs with several arts organizations in NYC, such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Big Apple Circus, and the Alzheimer’s Poetry Project. These relationships led to us meeting with the Tribeca Film Institute, which has a history of reaching out to underserved populations. After about six months of planning, we developed a classic film program that was hosted at the Tribeca Cinemas. The program was a big success—the event sold out and brought together caregivers and people with dementia. Many spouses, where one has dementia, had not been to the movies or ANY type of entertainment outside of their home for quite some time. We have since done several programs with the Tribeca Film Institute. In 2009 we formed a partnership with the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, Massachusetts. The Coolidge is one of the oldest theatres in the country and has been refurbished to its original art-deco design. When participants enter the theater, the first things they often notice are the familiar smell of popcorn and the physical environment—it feels warm and familiar. The theater lobby, with its classic design and movie posters, is instantly “recognizable” and many of the symptoms of dementia seem to diminish—especially anxiety and apathy. People seem to awaken--you see it in their eyes and through their smiles.

How might a family caregiver or helping professional use the program for their loved ones, their clients and themselves?

Iconic films and movie stars that are instantly recognizable appear to be the key. Watching a 2 or 3-hour movie may not be the best way to go—although you can certainly give it a try. We recommend using 3 to 6 minute clips of several films—scenes that are basically “mini-movies” in that they have a clear context; there is a beginning, middle and an end to the clip. This eliminates confusion as to what is happening on the screen. We suggest that the caregiver have a list of discussion topics/background information on the film to accompany each clip. For instance, there is that famous ‘I Love Lucy’ scene at the chocolate factory with the conveyor belt. After the laughter subsides, we engage audience members (and this can be done at home or with a client) with discussion themes, such as: favorite jobs, worst jobs, and if you could choose any career right now, what would that be and why?

Are there any future plans for the Meet Me at the Movies . . . and Make Memories Program?

Yes. We are currently working with caregiver organizations in Europe and Australia. We will be bringing Meet Me at the Movies . . . and Make Memories to San Francisco and Sacramento in 2012. ARTZ has just opened chapters in those California cities and we are exploring partnerships with local art house cinemas as well as reaching out to caregivers and long-term care residences. In San Francisco we are working with Elder Care Alliance, a non-profit organization that will offer ARTZ programming to its clients as well as the entire San Francisco arts and culture community.

Is there anything else you would like people to know? Any examples of how the program has made a difference?

It is important for caregivers to have access to specialized arts and culture programs where they can attend and not worry about "taking care" of their loved one or "what happens if this museum/cinema is overwhelming?" This fear has kept many people from engaging with society and has led to caregiver burnout and led to a quicker decline for many people with dementia (isolation leading to depression). Those with a diagnosis need to be brought back into our communities and not just warehoused in a facility. At ARTZ we believe this is a human rights issue. Forty years ago people who used wheelchairs had very limited access to public spaces and buildings. Today there are ramps and access points built into most physical environments. We need to build psychological ramps for caregivers and their loved ones so that they can participate, contribute and have a voice. Through our experience we have come to realize that any event or project must have equal emphasis on the caregiver and on the person with dementia.

A caregiver recently e-mailed us the following testimonial: "As a family caregiver, I have had the opportunity to attend the ARTZ film program twice with my father who has vascular dementia. As we have come through the door at the program my father and I are given a warm welcome and sincere greeting, the acceptance is palpable. As a caregiver I can relax a bit without concern about any anxiety or judgment from others. Through these movie clips, my dad and I might recognize a fond memory or a basic human truth, laugh or cry, and then talk for weeks about it. He remembers the clips and the connection we shared, when many other short-term details he cannot retain. He wants to have that emotional connection with me but often it's difficult when his expressive abilities are hindered. Our experiences with this program have opened up a new pathway for connection."

A formal evaluation of one of our events from 2010 was conducted by psychologist, Cameron Camp, Ph.D. and sociologist, John Zeisel, Ph.D. The report summary stated: "From this analysis, it is clear that the event had a major impact on participants in reducing negative behaviors and replacing these with positive behaviors, including several types of memory—long and short—as well as thoughts about the future."

If readers have other questions, how can they obtain more information?

Website: www.ArtzAlz.org
E-mail: [email protected]
Facebook:www.Facebook.com/ArtzAlz

February 3

of $10,000 to five non-profit organizations, agencies and universities for new caregiving education and support programs. Read more about the program and submit a grant application at: http://www.caregiving.org/archives/1955.

February 15-18

The Fifth Annual n4a Leadership Institute will be at the Mason Inn Conference Center & Hotel at George Mason University, Fairfax, VA. The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) is the leading voice . . .

on aging issues for Area Agencies on Aging and a champion for Title VI Native American aging programs. Through advocacy, training and technical assistance, they support the national network of 629 AAAs and 246 Title VI programs. For more information, visit the N4A website.

February 27

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) will conduct forums to obtain and incorporate public input and feedback on the draft national priorities for research and research agenda. These forums will include . . .

focus groups, involving patients, caregivers and clinicians, and a national town hall meeting on February 27, 2012 at The National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The town hall meeting will be webcast and individuals will be able to participate remotely through a dial-in teleconference. Contact PCORI for more information.

February 28

Call for Papers for 8th International Respite Conference: Due Feb. 28, 2012

visit the website at www.isba2012.net. The deadline to respond to the Call for Papers is February 15, 2012.ARCH is a member of the International Short Break Association, which is sponsoring the conference. ARCH serves on the conference planning committee and is supporting the effort.

March 28-April 1

Aging in America, the 2012 Annual Conference of the American Society on Aging, will take place in Washington, DC. Family Caregiver Alliance will host several sessions, including "Family Caregivers: Policy Perspectives and Media Musings," in addition to a reception to honor the recipients of the 2011 Rosalinde Gilbert Innovations in Alzheimer's Disease Caregiving Legacy Awards. . . .

The reception will be held at the Marriott Wardham Park Hotel on March 30th at 6:30 p.m. and will include presentations about the awarded program or project in three categories: Creative Expression, Policy and Advocacy, and Diverse/Multicultural Communities. The ASA Conference is the largest gathering of a diverse, multidisciplinary community of professionals from the fields of aging, healthcare and education, along with business leaders from across the United States. View details here.

May 3-4

The American Academy of Home Care Physicians' two-day conference: Bringing Home the Care Continuum: Harnessing High Tech, High Touch Home Care Medicine will explore key issues in . . .

clinical and practice management, present applicable emerging technologies and innovations in models and review clinical practice standards on May 3-4, 2012 in Seattle, WA. Visit the AAHCP website for more details.

ADNI is Requesting Volunteers for Study on AD

who gets AD, how it progresses, and how best to stop it. Go to the ADNI website or call 1 (800) 438-4380 to help support ADNI research which has made significant contributions to the study of Alzhiemer's disease. Your participation will contribute to the fight against Alzheimer's disease and to support those providing care for the millions of men and women suffering with AD.

Findings From APA Survey: Caregivers Continue to Experience Higher Levels of Stress

Millions of Americans provide care for aging or chronically ill family members at home, and that number is expected to grow as the number of older Americans is likely to double by the year 2030, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Supporting the results from earlier studies on the topic, the findings from the Stress in America surveyreaching hands, fraying rope, american flag suggest that attention should be paid to the impact of these responsibilities on caregivers, who report higher levels of stress, poorer health and a greater tendency to . . . [continued]

engage in unhealthy behaviors to alleviate their stress than the general public. Caregivers are not only more likely to report stress than other Americans, they also report it at higher levels. On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is little or no stress and 10 is a great deal of stress, the mean level of stress reported by caregivers was 6.5 as compared to 5.2 by the general public. For more information on the study, read the MarketWatch article.

The Challenges of Family Caregiving: What Needs to be Done

. . . the 10 common themes from the authors who are reaching out to family caregivers and to those who need to better understand their needs and challenges, especially health care professionals and public policy makers. For more info, download the PDF from the AARP website.

Free e-Book: The Working Family Caregiver

. . . 9% leave the workforce and 10% reduce their hours from full-time to part-time. In the e-book, The Working Family Caregiver some straightforward guidelines are offered to help caregivers manage two demanding roles that can complicate life. You can download the book at Caregiving.com.

Researchers Develop Method to Design Antibodies to Fight Disease

as a tool to understand complex disease pathology and develop new antibody-based drugs in the future. The research study was funded by the Alzheimer's Association, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Pew Charitable Trust. For more information, visit the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute website.

Lifespan Respite Tools - Online Respite Discussion Forum

If you are a Lifespan Respite grantee or partner and do not have a password, click on "Join Lifespan Respite Grantee and Stakeholder Group" on the left-hand menu. You will have to wait to have your membership approved by an administrator. In most instances, this will happen quickly. If it does not, we apologize for the delay and request your patience. Don't forget to click on "Subscribe to Forum" on the main page if you want to be alerted to new posts, comments, questions, or replies.

For additional Lifespan Respite tools, check out the other topics on Lifespan Respite Tools page. Many of the grantees have generously shared tools and products that they have developed to date as part of their Lifespan Respite projects. ARCH has posted them on the Tools Page where you can see state examples of respite registries, caregiver surveys, service delivery tools and more. We will be periodically highlighting state Lifespan Respite tools, including training curricula, in the newsletter. If you have a tool to share, please send it to Jill Kagan at ARCH.

New State Lifespan Respite Summits Announced

. . . held in Iowa (February 24, 2012) and Idaho (March 1, 2012). The Nevada Respite Coalition/Lifespan Respite Program and the District of Columbia Lifespan Respite Program will be hosting similar events in summer 2012. If you would like to participate in any of these events or help in planning, or know someone in the state who should be involved, please feel free to contact ARCH who can put you in contact with the state leads for the event. For more information, contact Jill Kagan, ARCH Program Director, at [email protected] or by phone at 703-256-2084.

AoA Plans to Release FY 12 Lifespan Respite Program Announcement in Early Spring

building partnerships and compiling the necessary information. To help you get started, visit the ARCH National Respite Network and its Technical Assistance Center on Lifespan Respite for a Toolkit on Lifespan Respite, and to view Webinars "Lifespan Respite 101" or "Tools for Collaboration." ARCH also has a workbook to help you build a State Respite Coalition. For more information, contact ARCH Staff or Greg Link at the Administration on Aging.