A special arts program has been launched for adults living with memory loss.
Creative Dimension will engage participants in a range of art mediums including collage and clay – no previous art experience is necessary. There will also be time to socialize with people over coffee, and make connections.
The free program is being put on by the Dementia Friendly Community Task Group, part of the Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Katzie Seniors Network and is open to people 55 and older who live in Maple Ridge or Pitt Meadows along with their partners or caregivers.
“Our society creates so much stigma around dementia and memory loss,” explained arts program coordinator and facilitator Kat Wahamaa.
“This program encourages participants to find joy in creating and celebrating the good memories, for themselves and their care partners,” she said.
Wahamaa is a former artist in residence for the City of Maple Ridge and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role.
“As a community arts practitioner and from personal experience with family members, I have witnessed the enrichment that art making brings to the lives of people living with memory loss,” added Wahamaa.
According to statistics provided by the Alzheimer Society of BC, there are currently more than 1,000 people in Maple Ridge with a dementia diagnosis. Of those, sixty per cent typically live in their own homes in the community.
The Creative Dimension Visual Arts Program is being offered through a partnership between the local seniors network and City of Maple Ridge, Parks, Recreation and Culture. Funding is being provided by a BC Healthy Communities, PlanH grant, explained Heather Treleaven, seniors network coordinator.
“The focus is on building community connections and encouraging people struggling with memory loss to stay active and involved in their favourite hobbies,” she said.
Two six week sessions are being offered. The first session runs every Wednesday morning from 10-11:30 a.m., from Feb. 23 to Mar. 30 at the Maple Ridge Leisure Centre. The second session is to take place in April.
The program is part of a larger initiative by the task group to build a dementia friendly community by reducing the stigma, addressing fear, and educating residents on ways they can support their neighbours and friends, added Treleaven.
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Petra Frederick, recreation coordinator, community engagement for the City of Maple Ridge and task group member, explained that living with dementia can be very isolating.
“Not only for the individual, but also for their spouse or care partner,” she explained. “We know having to give up hobbies can contribute to this loneliness, so the task group is working to develop programs and supports that build inclusion for these individuals.”
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Community members will be invited to attend a showing of the participants artwork during B.C. Seniors Week, from June 4-11.
The Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Katzie Seniors Network is a community planning table led by seniors for seniors that was formed in 2008. Members of the network work collaboratively with the community to identify program and service gaps and to develop initiatives and programs to improve the health and well-being of older adults in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.
To register for the Creative Dimension program go to mapleridge.ca/1484/Program-Registration or call (604) 467-7422. Space is limited.
For more information email: seniorsnetworkmpk@gmail.com or call Heather at (604) 786-7404 or go to seniors-network.ca.
Have a story tip? Email: cflanagan@mapleridgenews.com
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