- Florida State's Opening Minds Through Art programs brings students together with seniors living with dementia for weekly art classes to exercise the mind and form connections.
- Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia killed 19 people per 100,000 in Leon County in 2022.
- Watch now to hear from two of the students who worked directly with seniors on how they have progressed throughout the semester.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Exercise for the mind, one brushstroke at a time.
I'm Alberto Camargo covering College Town news in northwest Tallahassee.
Opening Minds Through Art.
That's the name and the goal of a program at Florida State University that gives people living with Alzheimer's disease or dementia a chance to continue growing.
"Ooooh, I like that."
Opening minds.
The minds of people who live with dementia.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says there are over 5 million in the United States.
Here in Leon County the death rate from Alzheimer's specifically is above average for the state of Florida.
FSU OMA facilitator Suzanne Monroe Smith says so many of these people are overlooked.
That's why forming this connection with FSU students benefits both parties.
"This is our way of trying to find that inner person that's still there, and the gold that is there to come shining out. And we see it every week."
"She always uses the color blue, because that's her all time favorite color."
Opening minds... through art.
Friday's class was full of paint and glitter, but previous weekly classes have included yarn and fabric.
Student intern Jolene Alonso says the fabric class jogged the memory of her artist - Joan.
"It reminded her of a dress, like the feeling of the fabric she really enjoyed. So it's really different each time and it brings up memories they have."
Mia Williams says her artist, Amy, has also shown progress since starting this semester.
"I've seen her brain and her mind really grow. She's starting to remember things, like she remembers me, like who I am."
Growing each week, even in their condition.
The OMA program also holds art activities at The Grove at Canopy in Northeast Tallahassee.
And on April 27, will host an open show across both communities to showcase its art work.
In Northwest Tallahassee, Alberto Camargo, ABC27.
