Memory Care Residents to Paint Wall Mural of Staten Island Landmark
Memory care residents will soon be putting brush to wall in a colorful creation of a Staten Island landmark. To promote the enjoyment and cognitive benefits of art for people with dementia, memory care residents at The Brielle are creating a wall mural of Snug Harbor Botanical Garden. About 13 residents will express their artistic creativity beginning on Friday, March 31 through Sunday, April 2.
The mural is a pilot program at The Brielle. Residents will be joined by family members and friends and assisted by Brielle staff and Colleen Koziara, a certified dementia care practitioner and owner of Beyond Bingo, an Itasca, Il-based company that provides multidimensional whole life wellness programs to benefit seniors.
“Art is a motivational and enjoyable experience that draws participants’ focus away from daily concerns and takes them on a journey of self-expression,” said Brielle General Manager Allison Nidetz. “It helps them to relive fond memories and fosters their own creative processes. We are looking forward to four days of fun and artistic engagement.”
The mural project is part the Valeo Program, a proprietary wellness philosophy of Solvere Living, The Brielle’s management firm. Latin for to thrive, Valeo focuses specifically on wellness initiatives for those with memory impairments and incorporates components that examine residents’ social, intellectual, spiritual and physical well-being. Create and Compose is one of the major tenets of Valeo and capitalizes on the therapeutic benefits that art and music offer. The words “Welcome Valeo” will be the final touches above the mural.
“Older adults, particularly those with cognitive and memory impairments, receive many personal and rewarding health and quality of life benefits from participating in art, music and other creative avenues,” said Kristin Kutac-Ward, President and CEO of Solvere Living, whose own family members have suffered with Alzheimer’s disease.
See the finished product here.