Creative solutions for severe dementia with BPSD: a case of art therapy used in an inpatient and residential care setting.

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are common, distressing and compromise care. Their diverse etiology necessitates targeted, individualized treatment. We present a case of an 82-year-old with severe dementia and BPSD, and with limited response to a range of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. Individualized art therapy was developed in an inpatient setting using felt material cut into shapes and coloring with stencils and pre-drawn line drawings utilizing preserved skills of coloring, while supporting frontal-executive and language deficits. The activity was replicable and carried over to the residential care setting and supported by family and professional carers.