How art helps dementia sufferers

When her friend was diagnosed with dementia at the age of 39 it changed nursing graduate Roxana Whiteman’s life.

“Gareth lives in Barnsley like me, he is the same age as me, and we almost share the same birthday. At 39 years old, a primary teacher, this vibrant and attractive young man has now become one of the 40,000 young people with dementia in the UK,” says Roxana.

Because of Gareth, Roxana, a graduate from Sheffield Hallam University, set about creating social enterprise UNCOVER which helps transform the lives of people suffering dementia and other long term conditions.

Roxana is originally from Romania, born in Bucharest in 1976.

“I remember growing up in Romania and when I was in need of advice I would go to my grandparents, as they were the wise of the family. And other families were doing the same thing. The older they were, the much wiser they were seen, appreciated and valued. My vision and my values is to see the person first, their identity, their uniqueness, their beauty and their wisdom

Roxana’s vision through UNCOVER’s is to bring out people’s talents through creative activities that are person centred and , based on sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch and balance. This takes place through weekly workshops in nursing and residential care homes and community halls.

“I have identified that there is a real need for individuals with along term condition to do creative things. Gareth has dementia; this means that Gareth can hardly recognise people that once meant the world to him. Some days he feels depressed. Some days he feels excited. But unfortunately on the days when he wants to do something and he wants to feel alive there is nothing he can do.

“Unfortunately things that are important to individuals in care homes are sometimes neglected,” she adds. “There is a lot of evidence that highlight that creativity and social participation and engagement can help prevent mental health deterioration.”

The life expectancy for people living in England has risen by 5.4 years since 1990, with the average person now expected to live until more than 80 years of age. A growing population of older people is estimated to increase demand for care homes by around one per cent per year. Eight per cent of people living in care homes have a form of dementia or severe memory problems.

“They all need UNCOVER and art activities that will bring sunshine to their lives. I believe UNCOVER can make a difference and I think that it can grow into a fantastic network of people/ volunteers going into care homes and making a difference in people’s lives.”

For more information on Roxana and UNCOVER visit uncoverart.co.uk