Free Art Class in Las Vegas Helps Boost Creativity and Connection for Dementia Patients

The Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas is currently offering a free program called Opening Minds through Art (OMA). OMA is an eight-week program for individuals living with dementia. OMA is an evidence-based program that encourages creative self-expression, as well as support for brain health, through art-making and socializing.

Participants are matched with trained volunteers who help guide them through the creative process by fostering attention and social connection. Laura Berger, whose mother Rosemarie has been living with Alzheimer's for three years, emphasized the impact of the program: “She loves music and could play the piano. She loves doing any kind of mind and hand coordination. That's what opens up her brain with Alzheimer's,” Berger said. “She gets completely involved with the care partner that they suited her up with, and I actually kind of walk out and leave her be, and she stays focused on her art projects.”

Verla Niebuhr, education program manager at the Lou Ruvo Center, explained to Fox 5 that the cognitive benefit of programs like OMA: “We know, or research has shown us, that one of the six pillars of brain health is social interaction and social engagement. It's what keeps all the pistons firing and so this is a opportunity for the social engagement.”

The class is open to any individual experiencing cognitive impairment. Among the volunteers is Liv Etzyoni, who brings a personal motivation to the program: “I was really curious about it because my grandpa has Alzheimer's, so I wanted to figure out how to help, how to learn about the disease in general,” Etzyoni said. “It's just been so amazing how it opens up the brain to people you know.”

The final OMA session is scheduled for early August, with a culminating art show planned for September to display the participants' creations. The initiative highlights the Lou Ruvo Center's commitment to non-pharmacological approaches that support brain health and quality of life for those living with dementia.