Older Adults and High School Students Express Themselves Through Art

The Open Minds Through Art program will soon enter its third year at Harmar Place Rehabilitation and Extended Care in Marietta, Ohio, reports WTAP-TV . The initiative matches seniors who have dementia and Alzheimer's with students from nearby Marietta High School for 12 weeks to bond and create paintings. Many students are grateful for the bond they develop with the seniors. Harmar Place chaplain Patricia Vargas says the relationship benefits both students and the older men and women. She notes students developing more patience and learning about Alzheimer's and dementia, while seniors are happy to have someone to spend time with and talk to. "Seniors can express themselves; even sometimes they cannot talk and they can't express what they are feeling. They can express that with art," says Vargas. Open Minds Through Art will return to Harmar Place next spring for another 12 weeks, and many students are eagerly awaiting it.