Overview

Therapist Abraham shows how art can provide people with Alzheimer's a way to express their thoughts and emotions, when they can no longer communicate well verbally and words have lost their meaning. Abraham believes it is our moral obligation to provide elders with this tool, lest they be prematurely deemed beyond interaction. The confidence and self-esteem of elders - and that of the people who love them - can be bolstered by art therapy. This is the first work demonstrating that art is not just a means of keeping people with Alzheimer's occupied, but a profound and symbolic method allowing them to communicate. This work includes more than 70 drawings and paintings by people with Alzheimer's, and case histories of the men and women who created the artworks.

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9780275979898

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"""In this immensely moving account Ruth Abraham gives a powerful sense of the life of the patient affected by Alzheimer's. Through lovingly described clinical examples and vivid pictorial illustrations she takes us into the world of the patient and their carers. The book offers practical advice alongside sensitive descriptions of the ravages of the disease but none the less it always remains optimistic. It becomes clear that art therapy can offer a positive contribution by facilitating expression of the personality long after many other faculties have diminished. This is a true contribution to the art therapy literature and it will be a must for art therapists and it will also be of significant interest to all those professionals who work with this client group as well as their families and carers.""-Joy Schaverien, Professor of Art Psychotherapy, University of Sheffield, author of The Revealing Image ""Abraham offers guidance for relating to Alzheimer's patients by offering an alternative to impatience. Art therapy appears to reach into a place where words do not matter, enabling people with Alzheimer's disease to communicate their impressions, emotions, memories, and needs. She describes theories about why people with Alzheimer's disease can continue to communicate through their pictures even into advanced stages of their illness. She also offers honest advice on the practicalities of art therapy, gives projects that address different facets of the disease, and describes ways to include art therapy in the lives of people with Alzheimer's. Abraham knows well about what Alzheimer's can do to people and to the people around them. Among the 70 pictures by people with Alzheimer's in her book, she includes several drawn by her own mother.""-Art Book News Annual ""Abraham's book When Words Have Lost Their Meaning is a valuable addition to the literature on art therapy for older people as it captures aspects of the practice of art therapy with people suffering from Alzheimer's. This positive and compassionate book is also precious as it portrays an art therapy approach which resurrects the desolate situation in which Alzheimer's suffers find themselves. This is, as Abraham states, vitally important as often people with Alzheimer's are abandoned just when they are in most need of help....[a] very useful reference book and particularly accessible to students working in this field for the first time. It will also be useful to professionals other than art therapists....Abraham is successful in demonstrating how art therapy with Alzheimer's patients can be personal, raw and disturbing in a book that gathers momentum as it progresses to a resoundingly powerful and moving end.""-International Journal of Art Therapy ?[S]hould be of great interest to relatives of dementia patients, doctors, nurses and caregivers, as well as to men and women just diagnosed with Alzheimer's.?-The Jerusalem Post ?Abraham offers guidance for relating to Alzheimer's patients by offering an alternative to impatience. Art therapy appears to reach into a place where words do not matter, enabling people with Alzheimer's disease to communicate their impressions, emotions, memories, and needs. She describes theories about why people with Alzheimer's disease can continue to communicate through their pictures even into advanced stages of their illness. She also offers honest advice on the practicalities of art therapy, gives projects that address different facets of the disease, and describes ways to include art therapy in the lives of people with Alzheimer's. Abraham knows well about what Alzheimer's can do to people and to the people around them. Among the 70 pictures by people with Alzheimer's in her book, she includes several drawn by her own mother.?-Art Book News Annual ?Abraham's book When Words Have Lost Their Meaning is a valuable addition to the literature on art therapy for older people as it captures aspects of the practice of art therapy with people suffering from Alzheimer's. This positive and compassionate book is also precious as it portrays an art therapy approach which resurrects the desolate situation in which Alzheimer's suffers find themselves. This is, as Abraham states, vitally important as often people with Alzheimer's are abandoned just when they are in most need of help....[a] very useful reference book and particularly accessible to students working in this field for the first time. It will also be useful to professionals other than art therapists....Abraham is successful in demonstrating how art therapy with Alzheimer's patients can be personal, raw and disturbing in a book that gathers momentum as it progresses to a resoundingly powerful and moving end.?-International Journal of Art Therapy ""�S�hould be of great interest to relatives of dementia patients, doctors, nurses and caregivers, as well as to men and women just diagnosed with Alzheimer's.""-The Jerusalem Post ""[S]hould be of great interest to relatives of dementia patients, doctors, nurses and caregivers, as well as to men and women just diagnosed with Alzheimer's.""-The Jerusalem Post"

In this immensely moving account Ruth Abraham gives a powerful sense of the life of the patient affected by Alzheimer's. Through lovingly described clinical examples and vivid pictorial illustrations she takes us into the world of the patient and their carers. The book offers practical advice alongside sensitive descriptions of the ravages of the disease but none the less it always remains optimistic. It becomes clear that art therapy can offer a positive contribution by facilitating expression of the personality long after many other faculties have diminished. This is a true contribution to the art therapy literature and it will be a must for art therapists and it will also be of significant interest to all those professionals who work with this client group as well as their families and carers. -Joy Schaverien, Professor of Art Psychotherapy, University of Sheffield, author of The Revealing Image

In this immensely moving account Ruth Abraham gives a powerful sense of the life of the patient affected by Alzheimer's. Through lovingly described clinical examples and vivid pictorial illustrations she takes us into the world of the patient and their carers. The book offers practical advice alongside sensitive descriptions of the ravages of the disease but none the less it always remains optimistic. It becomes clear that art therapy can offer a positive contribution by facilitating expression of the personality long after many other faculties have diminished. This is a true contribution to the art therapy literature and it will be a must for art therapists and it will also be of significant interest to all those professionals who work with this client group as well as their families and carers. -Joy Schaverien, Professor of Art Psychotherapy, University of Sheffield, author of The Revealing Image Abraham offers guidance for relating to Alzheimer's patients by offering an alternative to impatience. Art therapy appears to reach into a place where words do not matter, enabling people with Alzheimer's disease to communicate their impressions, emotions, memories, and needs. She describes theories about why people with Alzheimer's disease can continue to communicate through their pictures even into advanced stages of their illness. She also offers honest advice on the practicalities of art therapy, gives projects that address different facets of the disease, and describes ways to include art therapy in the lives of people with Alzheimer's. Abraham knows well about what Alzheimer's can do to people and to the people around them. Among the 70 pictures by people with Alzheimer's in her book, she includes several drawn by her own mother. -Art Book News Annual Abraham's book When Words Have Lost Their Meaning is a valuable addition to the literature on art therapy for older people as it captures aspects of the practice of art therapy with people suffering from Alzheimer's. This positive and compassionate book is also precious as it portrays an art therapy approach which resurrects the desolate situation in which Alzheimer's suffers find themselves. This is, as Abraham states, vitally important as often people with Alzheimer's are abandoned just when they are in most need of help....[a] very useful reference book and particularly accessible to students working in this field for the first time. It will also be useful to professionals other than art therapists....Abraham is successful in demonstrating how art therapy with Alzheimer's patients can be personal, raw and disturbing in a book that gathers momentum as it progresses to a resoundingly powerful and moving end. -International Journal of Art Therapy ?[S]hould be of great interest to relatives of dementia patients, doctors, nurses and caregivers, as well as to men and women just diagnosed with Alzheimer's.?-The Jerusalem Post ?Abraham offers guidance for relating to Alzheimer's patients by offering an alternative to impatience. Art therapy appears to reach into a place where words do not matter, enabling people with Alzheimer's disease to communicate their impressions, emotions, memories, and needs. She describes theories about why people with Alzheimer's disease can continue to communicate through their pictures even into advanced stages of their illness. She also offers honest advice on the practicalities of art therapy, gives projects that address different facets of the disease, and describes ways to include art therapy in the lives of people with Alzheimer's. Abraham knows well about what Alzheimer's can do to people and to the people around them. Among the 70 pictures by people with Alzheimer's in her book, she includes several drawn by her own mother.?-Art Book News Annual ?Abraham's book When Words Have Lost Their Meaning is a valuable addition to the literature on art therapy for older people as it captures aspects of the practice of art therapy with people suffering from Alzheimer's. This positive and compassionate book is also precious as it portrays an art therapy approach which resurrects the desolate situation in which Alzheimer's suffers find themselves. This is, as Abraham states, vitally important as often people with Alzheimer's are abandoned just when they are in most need of help....[a] very useful reference book and particularly accessible to students working in this field for the first time. It will also be useful to professionals other than art therapists....Abraham is successful in demonstrating how art therapy with Alzheimer's patients can be personal, raw and disturbing in a book that gathers momentum as it progresses to a resoundingly powerful and moving end.?-International Journal of Art Therapy YShould be of great interest to relatives of dementia patients, doctors, nurses and caregivers, as well as to men and women just diagnosed with Alzheimer's. -The Jerusalem Post [S]hould be of great interest to relatives of dementia patients, doctors, nurses and caregivers, as well as to men and women just diagnosed with Alzheimer's. -The Jerusalem Post

Author Information

Ruth Abraham is Senior Lecturer in Art Therapy for the Post Graduate Programme at the Beit Berl College School of Art in Cfar Saba, Israel. She has worked for many years with Alzheimer's patients at a psychogeriatric centre, and has also maintained a private clinic as an art therapist with the general population.

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