Robb, as an 18-year old going to college the first
time, I had the opportunity to work in convalescent
hospitals for something like 18-months to 2 years.  My
FAVORITE patients of all were those, at the time, we
simply called senile.  They got all my childhood
dolls, and we enjoyed many a very pleasant evening at
the piano when I lined them up, single file, to march
from the back of the hospital to the dining room where
the baby grand piano was.

There, a lovely woman named Ethel (who was a friend of
Sally Rand the fan dancer--Sally used to come to
visit), would sit down at the piano, and though there
was much she couldn't remember, once she put fingers
to keyboard, she and all the other ladies suddenly
were able to remember many things from childhood as we
sang songs like "My Buddy,"  "It's a Long Way to
Tippareree," "Red Sails in the Sunset," and "On the
Sunny Side of the Street."  Of course I had to stop
Ethel from frisking the men on the way to the dining
hall, but that's another story--somethings of value we
old birds never forget, LOL.

So I would concur with your idea that this is, indeed,
a great marketing ploy/service your museum could avail
yourself of, but there are special considerations you
need to factor in.

You're going to need extra volunteers for these kinds
of events, or at least sufficient ones, that are
sensitive to the needs of the Alzheimer patients.  A
museum guide who answers a question may have the same
question asked of him/her five times by the same
"patient."  The patients are apt to wander off and not
quite understand or obey instructions of your security
or staff.  Some may become agitated and/or combative.


I would encourage you first, and foremost, to offer
this kind of service because I know the value it
brings to such folks and--when I get there--I want it
available for me (and I promise to be just like Ethel,
my hero and all-time favorite patient).  I know that
sensory stimulation can do a lot for these patients
and, as an advocate for the disabled, I see this as an
essential function.

But I would also encourage you to have an in-staff
presentation (perhaps by someone from a hospital or
one of the local facilities or someone involved in
gerontology) to explain the special needs of these
patients.  You MAY want to offer sessions for this
customer sector during off-peak hours because the
patient could become agitated by too much stimulation
(noisy kids/babies).  They love the children but may
forget to whom they belong.  I remember many a fight
over "my baby" when two or more of the women thought
that the doll belonged to them.

You may also wish to consider factoring in ambulation
issues for these patients.  If your museum is not ADA
compliant, and you have ramps or stairs that could be
problematic, you may wish to forgo this chance until
you come into compliance.  For the record, we do have
a new, supplemental list, Muse Access, where you can
discuss ADA compliance with your peers.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MuseAccess

If any of you younger people are reading this, I
encourage you wholeheartedly to spend some time
volunteering (at a minimum) in a local senior home for
a period of time.  Being involved in end-of-life care
was one of the best life's lessons I could have had.

Further, if you are involved in the history side of
museums life, a visit to the local home for the aged
may produce some of the best history you might ever
want to know.

Have you considered doing a living history of your
community's aged about the local community as another
form of increasing visitation?

Photos, taped messages, and perhaps donated artifacts
could make for a wonderful exhibit shared by a number
of generations and help to preserve things for
posterity.

I personally have learned a lot by sitting with
seniors.  My daughter and I used to play bingo
regularly BG (before grandkids).  I never won much
monetarily, but the big compensation for me was to sit
next to someone new, usually much older, and engage in
conversation.  There was so much history to be shared.




--- Robb Hyde <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

This kind of finding is one
> of those miracle "facts and figures" that could be
> part of every museum's advocacy and audience
> building discussions for years to come. It's like
> the old-age companion to the studies which link
> higher standardized test scores to young people's
> participation in the arts.
>
> Am I right or just experiencing my own early stages
> of delusion with age?
>
> Robb Hyde
> Marketing/Development Manager
> Canton Museum of Art
>
>
> news release link:
> http://www.nia.nih.gov/news/pr/2002/0212.htm
>


=====
Indigo Nights
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