Dementia Action Week in Australia is the chance every aged care home has to put dementia-friendly programs front and centre — for residents, families and staff. Our aged care and retirement programs are built for exactly this kind of week.
Paint-by-numbers is one of the easiest, lowest-cost programs to launch for the week, and it leaves something physical behind: residents' finished canvases lining a hallway display.
Why Paint-by-Numbers Suits Dementia Care
The structure (numbers and outlined sections) does the cognitive heavy lifting, so residents with mid-stage dementia can succeed without judgement. The repetition is calming. The finished piece is visible proof of capability — which dementia residents desperately need.
It also gives staff a non-medication way to redirect agitation. That alone is reason enough.
Choose Dementia-Friendly Kits
Large sections, bold outlines, no more than 12 colours, and a canvas no smaller than 30×40 cm. Floral, landscape and animal subjects work; abstract designs don't.
Pre-mix the paints into bigger pots if the original kit comes with tiny ones — fine motor demands matter.
A Five-Session Program Across the Week
Day 1: Welcome session, set up canvases, paint one or two colours.
Days 2–4: 45-minute sessions, same time each day, same chairs.
Day 5: 'Gallery walk' — display finished and in-progress canvases in a hallway, invite families in for afternoon tea.
Involving Families
Email families at the start of the week with a photo of their loved one painting. End the week with an in-person gallery viewing — even residents who couldn't finish their canvas should have it displayed.
Families remember the photo of their parent painting more than almost anything else from a Dementia Action Week.
What to Measure
Attendance, length of focused engagement (in minutes), and any PRN psychotropic use during the program week vs. the week before. Even one less PRN dose is a meaningful outcome.
Photograph every finished canvas with the resident. The images carry the story to the board, the regulator, and the families who couldn't attend.
Dementia Action Week is the easiest budget conversation of the year. A paint-by-numbers program turns it into a visible program with finished artworks on the wall — and a stronger case for next year's funding.
— Be Artistic Club