A heartfelt blog sharing Hetty’s journey with her sister Heather through early-onset dementia, capturing caregiving, connection, and the enduring power of love while reminding others they are not alone.
When John shared with us his concern that Heather had a cognitive impairment, which was later confirmed, I wanted to find a way to support John and spend time with Heather. Recognizing Heather’s flair for color and design, I suggested we capitalize on her talents by planning Friday art sessions.
We started in the fall of 2022. Our initial Fridays together were so easy to plan. Heather was keen to try her hand at anything I proposed. We painted with acrylics, made stained glass mosaic mirrors, wreaths, and beaded sun catchers. Our art session lasted hours every Friday.
As many of you know, art has been one of the ways Heather has expressed herself, connected with others, and brought joy to so many people. Over time, however, her condition has progressed significantly.
UPDATE: July, 2026
Heather has now lost the ability to communicate through speech or language, and she is no longer able to understand or participate in the creative process that made Fridays with Heather so meaningful. She has also lost the fine motor skills needed to make art. Although there will be no new artwork from Heather, the beautiful legacy she created remains.
The spirit of what we built together is now carried forward through the art sessions I facilitate in the Adult Day Program at Northwood, where creativity continues to be a source of connection, dignity, and joy for older adults.
In addition, we are developing resources for caregivers—tools inspired by Heather’s journey and the power of creative engagement. These materials are intended to support others in bringing meaningful, accessible arts experiences into care settings and homes.
Two of these resources will soon be available. Care Cards is a set of 100 thoughtfully designed activity cards offering simple, engaging ways to connect through three pathways: creativity (hands-on art and expression), exploration (cognitive stimulation through memory, curiosity, and discussion), and movement (gentle physical engagement that supports comfort, rhythm, and presence).
The second resource is a 200-page book titled Artful Connections: A Guide for Caregivers. Through the work of 18 celebrated artists, this practical guide helps caregivers inspire creativity and nurture meaningful, joyful connections with older adults, including those living with dementia or memory loss.
We will let you know when these resources become available.
We have recently completed an exciting project that grew out of the joy of making art with Heather on Fridays. Those art sessions showed how creativity can spark joy, conversation, and connection, even in the face of memory loss and other challenges. Inspired by that experience, we developed Art-to-Go kits to bring the same sense Read More
I continue to hold out hope that Heather will show even the smallest spark of interest in creating art. I gather markers and paper, then sit beside her. I pass her a marker, but when she looks puzzled, I remove the cap and gently place it in her hand. Slowly, the tip of the marker Read More
In the summer of 2022, Heather and I began a tradition of creating art together every Friday. Over the following months, we explored a variety of projects—from painting and pottery to crafting door wreaths and even making a stained-glass mirror. As time passed, however, it became clear that I needed to simplify our activities. Heather Read More
While preparing for my day with Heather this week, I found myself struggling to come up with an idea when I reminded myself that I just had a book of art ideas published. A year ago, we tried the “Flower Painting” project on page 133 in Fridays with Heather: 55 Art Projects for Dementia Care. Read More
Last week was discouraging. I don’t usually give up easily, but I found myself questioning whether engaging Heather in art was still possible. Despite some encouragement, she only managed to draw a few reluctant lines with a marker. As I prepared for today’s visit, I had an “aha” moment. Last week, I had presented Heather Read More
Six months ago, Heather and I had a delightful time fingerpainting together. It was a relaxing way to create art, free from the pressure of specific outcomes. Given how stress-free the experience was, I decided to invite Heather to fingerpaint with me again today. We started by selecting a few colours and placing a small Read More
A few weeks ago, I had resigned myself to the notion that our cherished art days were behind us. Heather seemed disinterested, and I feared our creative journey had come to an end. After a brief hiatus, however, I decided to give it another try. To my delight, Heather’s passion for art has been rekindled, Read More
This week, I hoped that Heather would be interested in decorating the birds she painted orange last week. When I arrived, I could tell she was in good spirits as she greeted me with a big smile—a good sign. After lunch, we moved to the back deck, our usual spot for art projects. I laid Read More
When I found a package of eight wooden birds at my local Dollar Store, I thought Heather might enjoy painting them. I poured orange paint into a small saucer and handed Heather a brush with a large brush end. To my surprise, Heather began painting one of the birds, carefully covering it entirely and even Read More
Last week I was encouraged by Heather’s willingness to create a small drawing using a few marker colours. Today I brought some new brightly coloured markers hoping she would be interested in drawing again. I sat beside her and drew a few simple flowers while she watched with some interest. When I handed her a Read More
