Annual of social work, Vol. 17 No. 2, 2010.
Professional paper
CREATIVE EXPRESSION AS MEANS OF ASSISTED COMMUNICATION IN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE PATIENTS
Dijana Škrbina
; University of Applied Health Studies Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Saša Radić
; Humanitarian organisation "Dobrobit", Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive mental illness which influences everyday activities of the patient, but also of his family or a caretaker. The loss of the ability to communicate can be one of the most serious problems for Alzheimer's disease patients and their families. As the disease progresses a patient’s ability to communicate decreases. Communication problems in Alzheimer's disease patients are often very complex and they take various forms: problems related to finding appropriate words, problems related to speech expression and reception, confabulation, poor vocabulary, echolalia, aphasia etc. The lack, i.e. difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication leads to social deprivation and alienation of the individual in all stages of Alzheimer's disease.
The development of different scientific and professional thoughts leads to new interdisciplinary fields which, through new intervention approaches, apply different creative media for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes with the aim of enhancing the quality of life. Having in mind different communication problems which arise in all stages of the progression of Alzheimer's disease, the paper gives a brief overview of the influence of creative media on the development and maintenance of communication skills, and thus on the development of patients' social interactions. A creative workshop held within the project SASI Stable, Able, Safe and Independent - Independent Living Programs For Elderly of the humanitarian organisation "Dobrobit" with the aim of providing additional professional help to the elderly citizens of the City of Zagreb through organising a network of multidisciplinary activities is also described.
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease; creative workshop; communication difficulties
Hrčak ID:
58911
URI
Publication date:
20.9.2010.
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