Colouring Book Project

[thINK_in]

Hello, my name is Caz and this is my first post... so hi!

I have been reading some of the posts in this community and I thought it might be a good place to come and seek a bit of feedback/advice etc. on a project I am beginning to work on.

I am very much into drawing and making comics, and I'm looking to co-ordinate a group of creators/arists/illustrators to make an adult colouring book for sufferers of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia (I also know from personal experience of an uncle who had a stroke that there are other areas where colouring can be employed as a helpful activity...)

The back story is... I volunteer in the Books for Amnesty bookshop in Brighton, and last year I met a customer who was looking for colouring books for his grandmother. She suffered from Alzheimer's and he said that colouring was something she really enjoyed and was quite helpful for her. Since then I have read online that this is the case for many people. The customer I spoke to in the bookshop also said that the problem was finding colouring books that aren't too childish. I've checked it out and seen that there are some adult colouring books out there to buy, but there don't seem to be too many.

The idea with this project is that the colouring book we make would be more varied as each page would be designed by a different artist, and we are looking to get the whole project funded so that the colouring books would a resource we could distribute for free, rather than people having to buy them.

The project is in the early stages, and right now I am mostly looking to get some feedback from people like yourselves! I would love to get some opinions on whether you think that this is something that you or the person in your life with Alzheimer's would benefit from?

Thanks for reading, hope you can give me some words of wisdom

 

[sunny]

A great idea - art can be really good therapy. I wonder perhaps if I could suggest that you or your colleagues visit a nearby residential home/Alzheimers Cafe and talk to the activities organiser and maybe take some samples in and see how the people with Alzheimers get on - in fact you will see then what Alzheimers is all about. Yes the colouring books I know of are really for children so it would be better to have something especially for people who have Alzheimers. I think its great that you are doing a project like this and thinking of people who have Alzheimers and how to improve their lives.

 

[florence43]

Hi Caz,

Sounds like a really good idea, and thank you for looking at ways to help sufferers of dementia. Everything helps.

Sadly, my mum is too far advanced to benefit from such a concept now, but looking back, I do think there would have been a time in her illness where she would have enjoyed this as a hobby. She always enjoyed word searches and crosswords, so sitting with a book and pen might have brought some comfort and joy as the word-related hobbies just became too difficult.

It may also have been quite calming and satisfying. Possibly even providing a sense of achievement when so many other tasks just create a feeling of loss and failure.

There are TP members who suffer from AD & VD, whose input will be invaluable, so I maybe they'll come along soon with their perspective. However, in principle, I do think my own mum might have got something back from having a peaceful hobby like this. But as you say, you'd have to be very careful what images are included and the level of difficulty will also change from person to person and stage to stage. I will have a think about possible pictures for you. Maybe, memories of different eras? Old bus tickets, cinema tickets, in a scene from the 60's, or the Queen's Silver Jubilee, 1977, with a street party to colour in? These images then may carry a double benefit.

Best of luck,

 

[CYN]

I bought children s colouring books for my husband and he enjoyed them, i don't think he even took on board that they were for children. He used to sit next to me while i was on the computer and happily do his colouring, this worked because he always wanted to be in the same room as me.

Cynthia

 

[Sandy]

Hi thINK_in,

Welcome to Talking Point (TP).

I know that you are just asking for general ideas at this point, but it might be a good idea if you read the section of the TP Help files that relate to using TP for research purposes:

http://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/faq.php?faq=about_talking_point#faq_researchersandstudents

The point about contacting the Society's Dementia Knowledge Centre (DKC) (mentioned in that text) is also a good one as they may be able to help you identify work that has already been done in this area or that is relevant to your project:

Researchers and students may also find it helpful to contact Alzheimer's Society's library, the Dementia Knowledge Centre, at knowledgecentre@alzheimers.org.uk.

Personally, I have always recommended the colouring (sometimes listed as coloring, as they are an American firm) books by Dover Publications as they cover such a wide range of topics, and cater for different skill level and also include some lovely abstract patterns. Here are some examples:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Garden-Flowers-Colouring-Stefen-Bernath/dp/0486231429/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1287437257&sr=1-12

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Knights-Armour-Colouring-Dover-Coloring/dp/0486248437/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1287437329&sr=1-13

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Snowflake-Designs-Coloring-Dover-Colouring/dp/0486456862/ref=sr_1_18?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1287437359&sr=1-18

Take care,

 

[creativesarah]

Sounds a greatidea

 

[thINK_in]

Hi everyone, thanks for all the replies so far. I just had a look at the TP help topic that Sandy posted (sorry I hadn't found that before I posted), I hope it's ok that I'm asking about this on TP? I'm not a researcher, just looking for some ideas and feedback etc. for what will be an independent project, but please let me know if I ever post/ask anything that violates any of the forum rules. I certainly don't want to use this forum in a way that it's not intended or make anyone feel like the forum is being hijacked! I will drop an e-mail to the Dementia Knowledge Centre - thanks

I really appreciate all the feedback and ideas you all have posted, I will also check out those links you posted Sandy, and I think it was a great idea to try and visit a local residential home or Alzheimer's cafe.

Thanks again everyone, really helpful stuff!

 

[susana53]

It's a great idea and I wish you well. There is a fine line between making them too childish and too difficult. I bought a childs colouring book full of farming scenes for a gentleman that was brought up on a farm. I thought he would love it, but he freaked when he saw the complexity of it. Simple outlines of every day things seem to be favourite.