Book Chapter

In the service of society

Silverman, Lois H.

2010,2009

Overview

In an old art museum with a well-worn oor, a tour group gathers around an enthusiastic guide and a famous painting of owers. People are soon sharing moments: where and when they have seen owers like this, who they know that loves bright colors, and what they think of the work. A petite woman with long, grey hair oers her opinion of the artist’s technique. A tall, slender man nods in agreement, and the two exchange quick smiles. Like countless other groups enjoying the world’s art in museums, this man and woman, along with their companions, are exercising their minds, expressing their identities, and recognizing potential friends as they interact with one another. For this group, the moments are particularly powerful. Just two hours ago, the woman could not remember her name or what day it was, and the man had been sullen and withdrawn. Like many of their companions, who are all residents of a local nursing home, the woman and man are experiencing the progressive impairment of cognitive and social functioning caused by dementia. Unfortunately, they are far from unique. By the year 2040, the prevalence of dementia will more than triple worldwide, reaching epidemic proportions in India, China, and elsewhere (Ferri et al. 2005). Yet, in this museum, viewing art, they nd their thoughts and voices and connect with the social world. Which museum is this? It might be any one of a growing number, like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Ateneum Art Museum in Helsinki, that now oer tours to foster positive mood and social interaction for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. Who is the woman with the long, grey hair and the slender man? As statistics would suggest, they are our neighbors, our parents, ourselves.

• Publisher: Routledge,Taylor & Francis Group
• Subject: Museums & museology / Social work
• ISBN: 0415775205, 9780415775212, 9780415775205, 0415775213