color time

Six people sit around a table in the comfortably furnished common room. Hilda B. paints a star with intense concentration. Theo H., an engineer, draws detailed water towers with a pencil.

Art teacher Oliver Schultz accompanies the "Farbzeit" program professionally and with dedication. The weekly meetings are not focused on skill, but on the joy of expressing something with lines and color. He usually brings along small inspirations, such as a sunflower, chestnuts, or a few beautiful leaves. This triggers memories in the elderly people, which are then translated into images on paper. Cheerful and incredibly delicate, or expressive and full of imagination.

People with dementia gradually lose their ability to remember and often lose all sense of orientation. The world that was once familiar feels strange and unsettling to them. In three EVIM senior centers, the "Farbzeit" painting program challenges their mental and physical abilities and awakens their motivation and joy for life. Seniors who had lost access to their language learned to communicate through their paintings. Many of the painters feel useful, valuable, and secure in the group again. They are happier and more cheerful. "The pictures are a reflection of life and traces of the residents' expressive qualities," says Schultz. Even relatives are often amazed at the creative vitality of their mothers, fathers, and grandparents.

With your donation, you will support regular, individual assistance for people with dementia, namely the purchase of sketchbooks, paints, brushes, and guidance from art educator Oliver Schultz.