Better Day Club is closed
Thank you for visiting us. Unfortunately Better Day is permanently closed. If you would like to reach former executive director, Cathleen Weber, LCSW, you can connect here.
To see or share memories of our wonderful time together at Better Day Club, you may visit our Facebook page.
Art Therapy
At Better Day Club, art is for everybody! For us it’s all about the process and
the emotional connections and expressions art and sensory activities
help to facilitate. We have learned a lot about club members through
art such as where and how deficits in hand/eye coordination manifest
and how we can assist members in adapting so they can have more
independence. Some members have been delighted to discover that a
talented artist has been inside them for years, just waiting to be let out!
Art therapy integrates the visual arts and the creative process with psychotherapeutic techniques to support, improve, and enhance an individual’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Engaging in the creation of art can be an enjoyable experience on its own. However, for the individual with dementia the art process can also be used therapeutically to improve their physical, emotional, and cognitive functioning. For those with limited speech the art process also provides a non-verbal mode of communicating.
Art therapy has been shown to improve the quality of life for individuals with dementia. Research has identified the following benefits:
Improved communication - Increase in verbalization and memory recall
- Reduced anxiety
- Improved cognitive functioning
- Improved self-esteem
- Improved mood & sense of well-being
- Increase in social connection
Paula Worley is Better Day Club's Art Therapist. She holds a Masters of Art in Art Therapy from St. Mary of the Woods College, and has years of experience working with both children and adults in a variety of settings.