In New York, the Arts & Minds program has partnered with three New York museums– the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Historical Society and the Studio Museum in Harlem– to support people with Alzheimer’s.
This program invites elderly people with memory disorders and their caregivers to attend weekly art exhibits at museums. “We know that involvement with art improves well-being,” says Carolyn Halpin-Healy, executive director of the program at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
This program features museum tours, gallery discussions and hands-on-art activities that can offer inspiration to people with memory disorders. Caregivers, who often struggle with a myriad of daily tasks, can also benefit from a change of scenery. Viewing art and participating in a discussion afterwards can provide caregivers with an uplifting activity.
Similar programs have begun in other states in an effort to support both the elderly and their caregivers.