Help Paint a Brighter Picture for Alzheimer’s Patients with Yoga Sandals® Footwear

Sunset Beach, CA, November 05, 2009 --(PR.com)-- With over 5 million people in the United States currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, there are so many more people affected by the illness. To help raise awareness of the impact of this disease and how to cope with the difficulties associated with it, the owners of Beech Sandal Company, Gayle Trenberth and Ben Frederiksen are sharing their personal experience of Ben’s mother’s struggle with Alzheimer’s and how picking up a paintbrush one day revealed hidden talents and a glimpse of how she still sees the world for all its beauty.

When Alzheimer’s began to rob Ketty Frederiksen’s cognitive abilities, she could no longer live alone and had to adjust to an entirely new environment. At age 79, she has begun painting for the first time in her life, and even though she may have difficulty finding the right words, her paintings tell the story of her love of nature. Her original works will be featured at U Can Too Arts & Crafts Studio as an example of how art can enrich the lives of those afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease.

As Alzheimer’s patients begin to lose their ability to articulate, art can be very therapeutic and a method to release the thoughts and emotions that are trapped inside them. Creating art, or just seeing it and talking about it, is thought to engage parts of the brain that are vital for well-being and emotional health, regardless of age or mental capacity. The simple act of painting or drawing seems to slow down the heart rate and breathing as well as decrease blood pressure.

Painting can ease the anxiety, confusion and frustration that Alzheimer’s patients often experience by providing a new way to express what they are feeling. Creating art can revive buried emotions and stimulate memory while providing a wonderful sense of accomplishment. It allows them to focus in a positive way, often providing opportunity for family members or caregivers to better communicate with one another.

If someone close to you has been affected by Alzheimer’s disease, take time to look into the benefits of art therapy. Help raise awareness and funding for Alzheimer’s with 100% of the proceeds from Ketty’s artwork and 20% of sales from Comfys Slippers by Beech Sandal Company going to the Orange County Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Continuing throughout November, Beech will donate 20% of sales of Comfys sold on YogaSandals.com to the Alzheimer’s Association or four other worthy causes that customers choose from.

When: Sunday, November 8, 2009

Where: U Can Too Arts & Crafts Studio, 16837 Pacific Coast Highway, Sunset Beach, California

About The Sponsors: Beech Sandal Company, based in Huntington Beach, California, is the originator of health-oriented Yoga Sandals® Footwear which promotes natural foot alignment with four toe separators that help exercise the feet and toes while enhancing balance and posture. U Can Too Arts & Crafts Studio in Sunset Beach offers a variety of craft classes for everyone including a Kids Korner and a great art gallery featuring the work of local artists.

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