Arts for Brain Health Coalition Provides At-Home Activities

Arts for Brain Health Coalition is a city-wide consortium of arts and health care leaders dedicated to improving the lives of people with memory loss and those who care for them, including the Mesulam Center. Collectively, the mission is to improve the quality of life for persons experiencing memory loss by curating moments of joy.  

To support the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, the coalition has put together a Theater Care Package, in both English and Spanish, which includes six theater activities to encourage creativity, energy and inspiration.  

Increasing research studies show that the creative arts positively impact one’s quality of life. Until we have better ways of treating dementia, we need to rely on non-medical opportunities to help people live with this disease, and these changes. 

Founded in 2016, the coalition has grown to include partnerships with the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Dance Therapy, Good Memories Choir, Hubbard St. Dance Chicago, La Brocha, Lookingglass Theatre, the Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Old Town School of Folk Music and Rush University’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center.