An artist and dementia care professional, Lola Fraknoi uses art both to portray her own journey as a dementia care partner and to assist individuals living with dementia. Inspired by her personal journey with her mother’s journey with dementia, Lola created Lola’s ArtKit, a series of two and three dimensional activities, designed to bring out creativity in people with memory loss.
Time and time again, research has shown the benefits of art programming for people living with dementia, and Lola’s ArtKit brings creative therapies into the home. The foundation of the ArtKit is offering interesting prompts — half an image for them to fill in or a texture for them to incorporate. The other half is left open to the artist’s choice. While offering a visual cue for what could be created, it also opens up a blank canvas. The beauty of the ArtKit is its ability to be used in a variety of settings — day programs, residential care facilities, or at home. Its versatility allows caregivers in any capacity to uncover their loved one’s creativity. The ArtKit has been purchased by caregivers all over the world. As Lola says, this shows that the “language of art is universal.”
