The MoMA Alzheimer's Project: Programming and resources for making art accessible to people with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers

Abstract

According to estimates by the Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's disease currently affects more than five million Americans. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City has a long history of offering programs and services that promote engagement and enhance quality of life. In 2006 MoMA began an innovative approach to serving people with Alzheimer's and their caregivers. This article will describe the value and importance of visual arts in healthcare by highlighting the MoMA Alzheimer's Project.

Keywords:

• visual art and dementia
• Alzheimer's disease
• community outreach

Notes

^1. About Alzheimer's. (n.d.). Retrieved August 13, 2008, from http://www.alzfdn.org/AboutAlzheimers/statistics.html

^2. What is Alzheimer's. (n.d.). Retrieved August 13, 2008, from http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp

^3. Alzheimer's Program is One from the Art. October 16, 2007. Retrieved August 13, 2008 from http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-10-16-alzheimers-art_N.htm

^4. For more on the Value and Importance of Art in Healthcare Symposium hosted by Vanderbilt University Medical Center, The Museum of Modern Art, and The Society for the Arts in Healthcare, visit www.thesah.org