Art therapy as an empathic tool to strengthen and maintain the cognitive, physical and relational skills of people with dementia

"<< Background >>AlphaZTL, which carries out workshop activities in settings such as prisons, rehabilitation institutions, and daycare centers for people with neuro-cognitive diseases, presented this project to help disseminate the arts as a concrete tool to support the autonomy and quality of life of people with dementia, minimizing cognitive and behavioral decline. Despite the availability of art therapies, their implementation, particularly in the local context, is not widespread. Their potential to improve the quality of life of people with neuro-cognitive diseases is little exploited. Our European partnership project arose from the need to raise awareness and motivate people with neuro-cognitive disorders, family members, carers, and practitioners about the importance of art therapy in enhancing their quality of life. All partners shared the need to exchange on a European level with those who directly apply art therapy to combat dementia daily, in order to compare results and mistakes to be avoided. All partners are carriers of good practice and collaborate nationally with different facilities that apply art therapy against dementia.<< Objectives >>The aim of the project ""Art Therapy as an empathic tool to strengthen and maintain the cognitive, physical and relational skills of people with dementia"" is to share and transfer knowledge, guidelines, and procedures in the use of art therapy as tool able to stimulate learning, socialization and the increase of transversal skills of adults suffering from neuro-cognitive diseases.The partnership aims to deepen new models and methodologies through study visits and replicate and experiment with them in their respective contexts. The ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life of people with dementia and to encourage the development of cultural and artistic activities aimed at the elderly. << Implementation >>The activities carried out during the project were - three study visits organised by the project partners in Riga (Latvia), Athens (Greece), and Ljubljana (Slovenia), aimed at deepening and sharing best practices in the field of the application of arts and art therapy to support people suffering from dementia, through visits to facilities and projects dealing with Alzheimer's and participation in experiential workshops together with adults suffering from dementia, family members, caregivers, and operators.- an international meeting held in Brindisi, Italy, dedicated to the promotion of the project for the exchange of good practices in the use of the arts and art therapies for Alzheimer's care, aimed at building the foundations for a national and international collaboration network with public and private interlocutors for the dissemination of art therapy as an empathic tool that strengthens and maintains the cognitive, physical and relational abilities of people with dementia.- a phase of practical experimentation of the transdisciplinary model developed by incorporating the best practices learnt from European exchanges, which took place in a day centre for elderly people with Alzheimer's disease in Cellino San Marco (BR).<< Results >>1. Increasing the skills and professionalism of the practitioners involved by the partner organisations: knowledge of best practices in the field of art therapy applied to the treatment of dementia.2. People with dementia, family members, caregivers and practitioners involved in the workshop activities conducted in Italy, Slovenia, Greece, Latvia during the study visits and during the 2-month experimental phase in Italy.3. Produced four short video-documentaries about the study visits and international meetings and one video-documentary about the final experimentation phase.4. Produced a publication narrating the project and describing the transdisciplinary model developed from the practices learnt at European level shared and experimented with the local Brindisi community in a day centre for people suffering from Alzheimer's and neurocognitive diseases.5. Development of a local collaboration network to support the application of art therapies and the development of support actions for caregivers and relatives.6. Raising awareness among the local and international public about art as an empathic tool that strengthens and maintains the cognitive, physical and relational abilities of people with dementia"