Hi, my name is Erica Curcio
and I’m an Alzheimer’s Therapist in Boston, Massachusetts.
You may be feeling frustrated with caregiving, unsure of how to help or engage your Loved One, and wishing there were more meaningful opportunities for your Loved One with Alzheimer’s Disease to thrive and feel capable. I understand this challenge and help families with this everyday. Now I’m here to help you both.
I help people living with alzheimer’s disease
see and feel more joy in their life with art therapy. If you’re ready to create more meaningful moments with your Loved One living with Alzheimer’s, send me an email today!
My approach to Alzheimer’s Therapy
As an Alzheimer’s Therapists I focus on in the moment art therapy with someone living with an Alzheimer’s Disease diagnosis. The first step is to develop a relationship with your Loved One. I want them to feel comfortable with me to create creative connections going forward.
Depending on the person, this could be an initial talking session, an all artmaking session or something in between. My number one goal when being with your Loved One is to create that comfort and allow them to feel seen, valued and heard.
Over time, Alzheimer’s Disease will get worse, but that doesn’t mean you need to be at a certain place in your journey to introduce art therapy. Art Therapy is possible to start at any point. By focusing on a person’s capabilities, we forget about the disease and highlight their current strengths. Yes, even someone in the later stages of the disease has a strength that is waiting to be unlocked and needs to shine.
After we create a foundational relationship based on comfort, the next step is to help them feel a sense of independence. As a person’s Alzheimer’s disease progresses, it’s natural for them to slowly start to lose their independence. In the beginning they might become more reliant on others to help them remember and over time that dependence may become 100% reliant on their caregivers to complete tasks for them. An hour art therapy session can be their opportunity to gain feelings of control through the use of art supplies that meet them where they are.
An Alzheimer’s Therapy session is personalized and will look different to each and every client. We suggest to commit to four sessions in the beginning. This allows the person living with Alzheimer’s and the therapist create a foundational relationship and explore art supplies that can offer those feelings of independence and create moments of joy.
Call or email today to see what an Alzheimer’s Therapist can do for you and your Loved One.
alzheimer’s therapy
frequently asked questions
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We believe so! We think more mental health services should be available to people living with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. While a client may not remember what is said in a session, they will remember the feeling of releasing tension, pain and being heard.
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Our services are in your home and cost $185 for an hour. We do not take medicare. If you are under 65, your insurance carrier may reimburse you for our services as an Out of Network provider. Please contact your insurance carrier for more information.
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Without therapy services, we feel coping can be challenging. Many people live in denial, until they aren’t able to remember that they have Alzheimer’s Disease. At that point, we believe people are still aware something is not right about them, but maybe unable to explain exactly what is wrong. This can feel extremely frustrating for both you and the person living with dementia. Our goal when meeting with your Loved One is to create space for them to be as they are. We strive to focus on things they still can do successfully and make them feel accomplished.
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Unfortunately it cannot, but that doesn’t mean we should give up on people because they have an Alzheimer’s Disease diagnosis. Alzheimer’s Disease is a disease of the brain, how could this not affect someone emotionally? Alzheimer’s Therapy can provide space for someone experiencing this loss to grieve and feel who they are in this moment. At the end of the day we want people to feel good about themselves and believe therapy is a great start.
Get help from an Alzheimer’s Therapist in Boston
You’re in a really difficult situation. Please know that there are professionals that can help you. Alzheimer’s Art Therapy might be what your Loved One needs to bring back that spark of joy in their life.
Send us an email and we will set up a free phone consultation to learn more about you both.