Dementia Spring

🚨 Exciting News! 🚨 We’re thrilled to amplify the journey of MERCEDES, Part 1, by our 2023 grant recipient Modesto Flako Jimenez, making its big debut at the Brooklyn Academy of Music ! 🌎✨ This multidisciplinary project weaves a documentary, gallery, and healing room installation into an immersive experience that honors the life and legacy of Mercedes, Flako’s grandmother, a pillar of the Latine community in Bushwick. Through Flako’s intimate storytelling, MERCEDES offers a glimpse into the personal and community impact of #dementia, using memories, letters, and keepsakes to inspire multigenerational care and community outreach. 📅 Don’t miss this powerful installation from Dec 3 to Dec 8! For more details and to reserve tickets, visit bam.org. As supporters of MERCEDES and contributors to its dementia-program directory (English and Español), we’re honored to be part of this. Let’s keep the conversation going and help us spread the word!

This month, we're taking a moment to recognize the quiet strength of family caregivers—especially the artists in our community who transform the experience of caring for a loved one with dementia into something profoundly moving. At Dementia Spring Foundation, we’re deeply honored to support these storytellers. If you’re a caregiver or know someone who is, we invite you to share your story with us. Comment below or reach out in DM. #NationalFamilyCaregiversMonth #DementiaThroughArt #StoriesOfCare

Love you Love you Love you by Sarah Sanford is a solo #theaterperformance inspired by her mother’s journey with #Alzheimer’s and the evolution of their relationship over the last decade. Premiered at the 2024 Philadelphia Fringe and Cannonball festivals, the piece invites audience members to connect with their own feelings and experiences of #dementia. In collaboration with director Alex Tatarsky, Sanford transformed family photos, #poems, #memories, and folklore into a poetic exploration of loss, growth, and memory. With support from a team of four designers, crowdfunders, and the Free to Be Fund, Love you Love you Love you brings to life the themes of light, sound, and movement, creating a space for audiences to sit with their reflections on love and loss. Discover more here ➡ https://lnkd.in/e2payhsj

We’re excited to highlight key participants at the upcoming #MidwestDementiaSummit on November 6, 2024! 🧠 Dr. Marc Rothman, MD, founder of Dementia Spring, will take the stage at 11:20 AM to discuss essential topics in dementia care management and recent Medicare/government funding initiatives addressing dementia and Alzheimer’s. Joining the lineup are the Day By Day Project and The Dancing Wheels Company, integral members of the Dementia Spring artist community 🎶💃 📍 Ribbon Town Conference & Event Center, Four Winds Casino & Resort, 3000 Prairie Ave, South Bend, IN Find more info here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g5e99rPQ

🎃👻 A Dementia-Friendly Halloween 👻🎃 Halloween can be a wonderful time for creativity and connection, even for those with dementia and their caregivers! Here are some ideas to keep this spooky season enjoyable and low-stress for everyone: ✨ Embrace Familiarity – Simple activities, like decorating pumpkins or exploring familiar autumn textures (like leaves and gourds), can bring joy without overwhelming anyone. Use markers or stickers to decorate pumpkins for easy clean-up and less mess. 🧡 Dress for Comfort – If costumes are involved, keep them comfortable and uncomplicated. Wearing a favorite sweater or adding a festive scarf or hat can bring the spirit without any confusion from bulky costumes. 🎶 Engage with the Senses – Music, art, and simple crafts are a beautiful way to celebrate together! Play some lighthearted, familiar tunes to set a festive mood, or create a collaborative collage using Halloween colors to tap into creativity. Caregivers, artists, and community members – let's enjoy this season by focusing on moments of joy, creativity, and connection. Whether it’s a decorated pumpkin, a familiar song, or a shared laugh, small gestures can make Halloween a meaningful time for all. 🧡

🎨 🎭 Calling all #artists & #artorgs! 🎭 🎨 Join Dementia Spring and become part of a vibrant community of creators telling new stories about #dementia through the power of #art. Whether you're a painter, musician, poet, or performer, your work can inspire, challenge perceptions, and spark meaningful conversations. 🌐 Discover more and join here: dementiaspring.org/join

✨ Exciting Spotlight! ✨ Experience MOTHER (and me) by the talented Melinda Buckley, a valued member of our #artistnetwork, at Playhouse on Park in West Hartford, Connecticut. This one-woman show tells the heartfelt story of Melinda’s journey caring for her vibrant Hungarian mother, who’s slowly waltzing into #dementia. Equal parts humor, love, and resilience, this award-nominated #play is sure to move you, make you laugh, and uplift your spirits. 🗓 Saturday, November 2 @ 7:30pm 🗓 Sunday, November 3 @ 2:00pm If you’re in the area, don’t miss this unforgettable evening celebrating family and courage. 🎭 Tickets: PlayhouseOnPark.org

🧠 ✨ Art unlocks hidden doors in the minds of those living with Alzheimer’s and dementia, revealing new perspectives and possibilities. Here’s a fresh perspective: Beyond the Fog: Even as memory fades, the act of creating can bring moments of clarity, giving those with dementia a way to share their unique inner world. A Journey, Not a Cure: Art doesn’t "fix" dementia, but it opens new pathways for creativity and self-expression, reminding us that life can be lived in beautiful, unexpected ways. Colors of Emotion: When words fail, colors and shapes speak. Art allows families and caregivers to connect on an emotional level, creating bonds that transcend language. Awakening the Soul: From a simple brushstroke to a heartfelt melody, artistic moments can spark joy, recognition, and even long-lost memories, reigniting the spirit within. A Bridge to Understanding: Art offers us all a way to see through the eyes of those living with dementia—revealing their ongoing journey and inviting us to walk with them. Photographs: ‘Mamma, In the Meantime’ by Tony Luciani

My Old Man" by Nan-Yong K. Griffin is an intimate photography series documenting her father, Michael Anthony Griffin, as he navigates late-stage dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. As his primary caregiver since 2019, Nan-Yong began capturing these moments in early 2024, portraying the fragility of identity and the quiet routines of aging. The series also highlights his enduring love of reading, a passion from his childhood in the Irish countryside. Through this ongoing project, he hopes to foster empathy and encourage conversations about dementia, caregiving, and the realities of aging. Discover more about this #DementiaArtsSpotlight here ➡ https://lnkd.in/dtSWpCAk