Date
Nov 2001

Dick was a constant walker, and his hands shook much of the time, so getting him to do any kind of art work was always difficult. He walked in a circle around the day care, and as he came by he was handed a paint brush full of paint and asked to paint on the paper. Each time he came by, the color was changed. As you can see, he started with the green horizontal line in the middle, then very carefully did not cross that green line as he put in the other lines vertically. As he completed each line he looked up with a big smile as if seeking approval and permission to move on.

And here’s a quote from the Activity Director, Teresa Hoover, who elicited this painting.

“I also remember the reason he did not do more lines is that on the trip around the room after the last line he painted, he took a detour to avoid getting close to the table and waved happily with both hands as he zoomed past just out of my reach.”

(His way of telling her he didn’t want to continue with this activity.)

People with Alzheimer’s and related dementias are quite complex, just like our brains, so who knows what he was thinking during this happy and creative experience.

Dick passed away on June 16, 2002 and is truly missed by his family and friends.

~ Marsha Smith