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Memories in the Making; Silent auction of paintings created by Alzheimer's patients set for today at Fort Scott Manor
An event today at Fort Scott Manor is designed to benefit people living with Alzheimer's or other related diseases.
Manor officials said the community is invited to the second annual Memories in the Making art silent auction and reception, scheduled for 2 to 6 p.m. at the nursing facility, 736 Heylman. Memories in the Making is a weekly watercolor art program sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association and offered for individuals with Alzheimer's, dementia and other types of memory loss.
The program provides many benefits for these individuals -- among those are that it is relaxing and allows them to be productive and feel valued, while also frequently jogging memories of the person's past, Fort Scott Manor Administrator Lynnette Emmerson said.
"Most residents in the program have Alzheimer's or some type of memory loss," Emmerson said. "They reminisce about the subject they're painting ... It's a special time of focus for them."
Emmerson said more than 100 paintings designed by residents at the nursing home will be on display during the event, and about 30 paintings will be offered for sale through the silent auction. Bidding will start at $5. Local pianist Doris Jones will provide musical entertainment and light refreshments will be served.
Proceeds from the auction will go toward the Southeast Kansas Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk, an annual walk that is open to the region and takes place in Pittsburg in May. Funds help provide respite for caregivers and education and support for people dealing with Alzheimer's, Emmerson said.
Emmerson said Fort Scott Manor is the first facility in Southeast Kansas to participate in the Memories in the Making program for the last several years.
A total of 13 residents meet once a week, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. every Tuesday, to take part in the program. Rhonda Hawpe, activity director at the facility, coordinates the program and receives assistance from Emmerson and local volunteers Jo Ann Meara and Pat Kutey.
Staff and volunteers help four participants at each time -- one helper per resident -- get their workstations set up and "help them decide what to paint if they have trouble," Emmerson said.
Emmerson said she has personally seen the program help residents recover some lost memories. She said one particular resident "paints something from his daughter's childhood."
"Back in their mind, there is something that came out in the form of a painting," she said. "It jogs stories from childhood."
Hawpe said another resident, Ginny Ballinger, who is from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., "loves to paint sailboats."
"They remind her of when she was a child and they used to play on the Hudson River," Hawpe said.
One of Ballinger's paintings was sold at an auction in Kansas City last year, Hawpe added.