WATCH ABOVE: The Saint Michaels Health Centre has enlisted local artists to help patients and their families cope with dementia. Global’s Paul Kingsmith reports.
LETHBRIDGE – There’s a colourful new addition to the dementia ward at Lethbridge’s St. Michael’s Health Centre. Five large murals now adorn the walls of the ward.
The paintings help brighten the atmosphere in the building, but also serve a practical purpose: disguising entry ways.
“Often times the doors and elevators will cause anxiety for residents who have dementia and who have tendencies for wandering,” said Lisa Zubach, resident care manager at St. Michael’s.
Zubach says anxiety levels among residents have already decreased, and they’ll soon have more room to roam. The disguised entrances mean they’ll now be allowed to wander the entire floor instead of being confined solely to their homes.
Marie McLaren visits the unit every day to see Harold Prokophishyn, a man she describes as being “like her dad.”
“Now they are stuck into one little area, and they can’t come out that door,” said McLaren. “So, when those doors are open, they won’t feel like they’re so locked up into one little unit.”
Staff have also noticed the murals sparking memories in patients, and in turn leading to new conversations with volunteers.
“They’ll see a gopher, like one of the little details of a gopher on the mural,” said Zubach. “And, it will lead into the conversation about ‘back in Saskatchewan on the farm’ or that kind of thing, so it’s a really great thing to see.”
The Lethbridge Artists Club has spent more than 400 volunteer hours since May on the murals. It’s a grueling and occasionally tricky process, particularly when it comes to painting doorways. But, the group is thrilled to be able to make a difference in the lives of residents.
“That’s something I think all of us have in us,” said Sue Wilkie, president of the Lethbridge Artists Club. “We’re painters, so that’s the way we can contribute.”
While the initial project was to paint just five murals, the club hasn’t ruled out adding more paintings to the ward.
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