Artsy: In the hallways of a dementia care unit in Ottawa, Canada, artist Andréa Fabricius carefully paints over the exit doors with dynamic and unusual murals. They picture dark wood bureaus and armoires, decorated with books and flower pots and, in some cases, surrounded by patterned wallpaper—essentially, interior scenes that could have been plucked from a mid-century home. Known as diversion murals, they cleverly camouflage doors in order to quell the exit-seeking behavior of some people with dementia.
7 comments:
I found this article very interesting and that it really spoke to the power of art. It is so fascinating that something that seems to be as simple as painting over a door can be so powerful in changing someone’s mind about something. The article mentions that previously, instead of the diversion murals, more aggressive and jarring methods were used, such as stop signs and tape on the floor, but these murals are not only more effective but are also more pleasing to look at. The artist, Andrea Fabricius, also incorporates details that will be comforting to residents; the article mentions that there is a bouquet of one woman’s wedding flowers and one man’s trophy that have been incorporated into the murals. I appreciate the care with which the murals are painted; Fabricius paid a lot of attention to detail because, without the detail, the murals would not have been as effective. She really took into consideration what would blend seamlessly into the environment and what would be comforting and not shocking to residents.
This article hits very close to home, for me, and I have always been fascinated by the power that art, music, and theatre can provide to people with memory loss, mental handicaps, physical disabilities, etc. It is truly remarkable what these forms of artistic expression can do to help people heal and be comforted. I loved that artist Andréa Fabricius used responses from previous facilities to make the most effective Diversion Panels, that will feel natural to the residents, and camouflage necessary elements like door handles or fire alarms. Additionally, I think it is a *wonderful* way to get residents involved! She already teaches classes for dementia patients, which is also fantastic, but I truly believe that by engaging the residents in creative thought and collaboration, you are actually helping to improve their cognitive skills. These Diversion Panels seem to be a wonderful way to enhance the aesthetics of a living care facility, reduce the stress and anxiety of patients within these facilities, and actively engage residents in creating artwork and thinking creatively.
These murals look so good and realistic. They have a practical use, other than art, but they are really gorgeous looking. For a mentally stable person it’s just a panting in the wall but for a person with dementia it looks very real. I think it’s a very effective way to disarm the exit seeking behavior without actually recurring in a great effort. It plays with the patients head, creating an illusion that keeps them safe. I think this is better than any physical restraints. A similar tactic are the elderly homes that are decorated to look like small villages, and people think they are outside, and commuting, when in reality they are in a supervised environment. Being in a care facility must not be a pleasant experience, you are far from everything you love and own, and these tactics at least make the patients not feel contained, it gives them a sense of autonomy, even when it is not real.
I have seen similar concepts before in nursing homes and other types of assisted living facilities such as curtains or other things covering doors, but I think this is such an amazing solution. The biggest problem with covering doors, is often people need to access them very quickly in case of emergency, and I think this is a beautiful solution to both the issue of exits causing people stress but keeping the exits visible to care takers and staff that nee to use them in a timely manner. Aside from practicality, they are also beautiful works of art that I imagine are pleasant to look at and observe as well, which might spark creativity in the residents or encourage them to be active and walk around even. I also think it is amazing that the artist does outreach as well, teaching art classes to residents and engaging them in art as well.
In high school we watched a video about Alzheimer's and dementia , and the way that music and art can actually reverse the effects of these illnesses to a certain degree. The music would take violent patients and calm them down, and music from their past could remind people of who they once were, and help them to remember their families. I think that art really has a power that hasn't really been tapped into, because we hold onto songs more than anything else. Just like we can hear a song we haven't heard in 15 years and remember where we were when we first heard it, patients with alzheimers and dementia can do the same, and remember who they are. These murals are not only bringing some of that color back to their lives, but also making them feel more safe and secure and like they are home, which is very powerful. The way that this country handles elderly care needs to be reformed to bring back the humanity, and I think that this is a really good step. It's similar to the village I remember reading about that is an entire village that patients could go shop in and feel more normal, even though it was safe and secure.
This is a beautiful action. I can't imagine the trauma that some many of these people feel, as they go in and out of knowing what is happening and where they are. I am sure I would try to leave too if I were in such circumstances. I think that it is beautiful too that they have found a way in which art can improve the life of the people living in these units. Art is powerful in more ways than we may always realize. I also like that some of the doors pictured towards the bottom of the article have prominent exit signs above them that help to remind those who might need to know, that the door is an emergency exit. I do wonder though if all doors there should have some marking to help and if there is a way to help call out the doo handles or opening mechanisms so that as others have mentioned if there is an emergency and need to get out that they can do so with a little more ease.
I think this is a great idea to passively increase the quality of life for residents living in long term care facilities. The conditions of the people in these facilities have generally progressed to a point that living a normal life in the outside world would be impossible, and for most of them their best quality of life is most likely within the facility, even if they don’t understand that. Using murals like this seems like a great way to reduce stress and help residents avoid harmful behavior without them realizing it. Rather than needing to physically stop people from running away and creating a more traumatic experience, these murals help them passively by helping remove that behavior in the first place and making them feel more comfortable/I love the way that the artist involves the residents in the actual creation of the murals, and the anecdote about it helping two people remember things from their past reveals they way in which art can promote healing and the impact it can have.
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