CREATIVE EXPRESSION AS MEANS OF ASSISTED COMMUNICATION IN ALZHEIMER\u27S DISEASE PATIENTS

Alzheimerova bolest je progresivna mentalna bolest koja ima utjecaj na izvedbu aktivnosti svakodnevnog života oboljelog pojedinca, njegove obitelji ili skrbnika. Gubljenje sposobnosti komunikacije može biti jedan od težih problema za osobe oboljele od Alzheimerove bolesti i njihovu obitelj. Razvojem bolesti osoba doživljava postupno smanjenje mogućnosti komunikacije. Komunikacijski problemi osoba oboljelih od Alzheimerove bolesti često su vrlo složeni te se mogu pojaviti u različitim oblicima: problemi s pronalaženjem adekvatnih riječi, problemi ekspresije i recepcije govora, konfabulacije, siromašan vokabular, eholalija, afazija. Nedostatak, odnosno poteškoće verbalne i neverbalne komunikacije dovode do socijalne deprivacije i otuđenja osobe u svim fazama Alzheimerove bolesti. Razvojem različitih znanstvenih i stručnih misli razvijaju se nova interdisciplinarna područja koja kroz nove intervencijske pristupe koriste različite kreativne medije u profilaktičke i terapijske svrhe s ciljem poboljšanja kvalitete života. S obzirom na različite probleme u komunikaciji koji se javljaju u svim fazama progresije bolesti u ovom radu dat će se kratak pregled utjecaja kreativnih medija na razvijanje i održavanje komunikacijskih vještina, a time i na razvijanje socijalnih interakcija oboljelih. Navedeno će biti deskripcija kreativne radionice provedene u sklopu projekta SASI Stable, Able, Safe, and Independent - Independent Living Programs For Elderly, Dobrotvornog udruženje Dobrobit koji je imao za cilj osigurati dodatnu stručnu pomoć starijim građanima Grada Zagreba kroz organizaciju mreže multidisciplinarnih aktivnosti.Alzheimer\u27s disease is a progressive mental illness which influences everyday activities of the patient, but also of his family or a caretaker. The loss of the ability to communicate can be one of the most serious problems for Alzheimer\u27s disease patients and their families. As the disease progresses a patient’s ability to communicate decreases. Communication problems in Alzheimer\u27s disease patients are often very complex and they take various forms: problems related to finding appropriate words, problems related to speech expression and reception, confabulation, poor vocabulary, echolalia, aphasia etc. The lack, i.e. difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication leads to social deprivation and alienation of the individual in all stages of Alzheimer\u27s disease. The development of different scientific and professional thoughts leads to new interdisciplinary fields which, through new intervention approaches, apply different creative media for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes with the aim of enhancing the quality of life. Having in mind different communication problems which arise in all stages of the progression of Alzheimer\u27s disease, the paper gives a brief overview of the influence of creative media on the development and maintenance of communication skills, and thus on the development of patients\u27 social interactions. A creative workshop held within the project SASI Stable, Able, Safe and Independent - Independent Living Programs For Elderly of the humanitarian organisation "Dobrobit" with the aim of providing additional professional help to the elderly citizens of the City of Zagreb through organising a network of multidisciplinary activities is also described