An intergenerational program in Lacombe has brought smiles, companionship and creativity to life for seniors living with dementia, and student partners from Red Deer College. 

Lacombe and District FCSS has brought in students from RDC to bring forward the Opening Minds Through Art program, also known as OMA. 

The OMA program connects seniors with dementia to strategically planned events where they get to build a one-on-one connection and get to create pieces of art through a 10-week program. 

OMA Facilitator Helle Tees said she believes the program supports a better quality of life for people living with dementia.

"Many times, people [with dementia] are told what to do. Here is an opportunity to come and spend one-on-one time, so there is a collaboration. It’s a win-win for our artist, our people living with dementia and the volunteers. They have an opportunity to create a therapeutic relationship," she explained.

The current team of partnered students is from RDC's Nursing program. Tees explained that as they develop a relationship with their partner, the students gain experience in communicating with a person living with dementia and are able to gain practical knowledge of how best to work with someone in that situation. 

"They learn to identify the strengths of that person, and not tell them what to do or do things for them. They give that person choices between two things… the whole program is designed in such a way that it is set up for success for the artist."

Tees explained that there is an extensive amount of research and planning that goes into the development of the OMA program. Small details make a big difference. 

The students are paired with the same artist for the entire program, developing a strong connection. Each week, they make name tags together to re-establish that connection and re-affirm that artists' own identity. Tees explained this may seem redundant to outsiders, but it helps to maintain the bond between the artist and student. 

As well, the rooms are set up so that the tables aren't too crowded, and facilitators bring forward each phase of the craft piece by piece so things stay clean and organized. 

"Students also ask the artists how they feel that day, and we do an evaluation each time, which is done on a scale of a happy face to a sad face, at the beginning of the program and at the end, we ask them again. More times than not, we see that change moving from sad to glad or happy. ," Tees said.

"To signify that we are working, we all wear aprons. There is also a starting song and a finishing song, and everyone does it. It creates an exchange of air and that is physiologically good for you because you breathe deeper when you sing."

All of these details help to set up a place where artists can make decisions about their colours and enjoy their tasks and focus on their own creative wish. 

"We need to collaborate far more as we care for our elders, as a society in general," Tees said. "We have ten to twelve students who get the opportunity to work one-on-one with someone, and it changes their perspectives on therapeutic relationships."

An art show will be held next week at the LMC to showcase the work of the artists. The paintings are auctioned off, starting at a $25 minimum bid and the proceeds go towards FCSS' maintenance of the OMA program. 

That art show will take place on Nov. 26th at the Lacombe Memorial Centre, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.