Instructor

I have loved art my whole life. I took oil painting classes from childhood into adolescence, eagerly enrolled in every optional art class in school, and sold illustrated cards and art pieces as a hobby for several years. I spent my professional life working in schools, teaching behavior intervention and special needs classes, and working as an in-home aid for adults with special needs. When it came time for me to go back to work after our youngest started school, I began looking for a job that could combine these two passions.
At the time, my husband's grandmother had just been moved into an assisted living facility and was having a hard time adjusting. My parents were also volunteering weekly at a different assisted living facility. The difference between the two soon became clear. Grandma's facility wasn't bad by any means; she had meals, attentive nursing, and invitations to come out into the main living room and mingle with the other residents. The facility my parents volunteered at had all of these things as well, and in addition, it had a robust activity program. The difference in the residents' demeanors was palpable.
When I was talking to my father about this, he commented on how much their "people" (the endearing name he uses to refer to his residents) enjoyed the activities the facility provided, most notably a painting night they had every week. My ears perked up: here was something I could do that would have a positive impact on my community and allow us to use my experience working with people who require adaptations to their environments, and my love of art.
With that goal in mind, I founded Adaptive Art and began developing an adaptive curriculum and designing adaptive tools for art. The curriculum and lessons are designed around Alzheimer's research and occupational therapy practices. I aim to “kill two birds with one stone,” so to speak, and help with dexterity, mobility, and strength, while also encouraging the social and cultural stimulation that comes with art classes in general. 
I have worked hard to create six different classes that each address a different section of the resident populations currently being cared for in long-term facilities. This includes developing a curriculum for painting and craft classes specifically for memory care facilities. I strive to keep up with current research in the fields of Alzheimer's/dementia research as well as in occupational therapy practices. In accordance with that research, I have also designed and sourced several adaptive tools for use in class. This included adaptive paintbrush grips, an accessible paint palette, a magnetic stamp system, and comfort-fit sculpting ribs. 

I feel both privileged and humbled to be able to teach what I have loved for so long and I am constantly surprised and awed by how much people retain a desire to learn and participate throughout their life. I would love to discuss with you ways to implement this program into your facility.