Art Therapy Helps Patient Communicate in New Ways
I always take a deep breath when I get a visit request for a patient who is an artist. Sometimes it is difficult to bridge the gap between art making and art therapy, and not every artist at the end of life needs or benefits from art therapy. Sometimes the ability to make art is one of the losses being grieved by a patient and arriving with simple supplies such as oil pastels and colored pencils feels like an insult when the home is filled with stunning oil paintings or drawings. Often, it feels like a caregiver is hoping I can help them reclaim something lost to illness and decline.
Recently, I had just such a moment when visiting a patient. The nurse was completing an assessment, and I spent time with the patient’s husband as we waited. He had curated an amazing exhibit of drawings his wife had made and told me about the ways her creativity had formed their home and impacted the community. I had read the chart. It seemed unlikely that this patient would even interact with art materials, and I was not sure what art therapy might bring to her. I took a deep breath.
I introduced myself to the patient, who is now bed bound and speaks only a few words at a time. I shared with her my admiration for the work she had created and introduced the idea of art therapy. We worked together to find a comfortable position, and I provided easy to hold materials with intense contrast. Little by little, the patient took control of the pastel, and I watched as her eyes focused and her breathing became rhythmic. Just circles on a page, but it felt like so much more. She was communicating with us in a way that she could no longer manage with words. She titled the piece "Circles in Motion” and we hung it on the wall. It is very different from the art she made during her life- not representational or meant to be sold. But it is meaningful for her, and for her husband. I hope we will be able to work together to curate a new, and very different, collection of pieces.
Art therapy is part of the integrative medicine program at Bluegrass Care Navigators and is generously supported by donors. This patient is one of many who have found hope because of these therapies. If you would like to join us in giving to help future patients like this, please visit bgcarenav.org/integrativemedicine or call 855.492.0812.
