Art projects for seniors are not just enjoyable but also beneficial! Creative activities for seniors provide unique avenues for cognitive stimulation, stress management, mood improvement, social interaction, and motor skill enhancement. In this blog post, we’ll explore how art projects for seniors can enrich lives and foster well-being. Join us as we uncover the transformative power of the arts in senior programs.
Cognitive Stimulation: Keeping the Brain Sharp
Nadire Rhea is a retired civil engineer who wants to keep her brain sharp. She understands that cognitive functionality requires you to “use it or lose it.” So how can the arts and crafts for seniors in her independent senior living community stimulate brain activity?
Let’s take painting, for example. Painting can enhance memory as Nadire learns to recall painting techniques, color palettes, and blending patterns. Crafts for seniors promote problem-solving skills. Nadire figures out how to mix color, lay out compositions, and express the painting in her head. Art projects for seniors can further improve cognitive functionality by enhancing focus and concentration.
Art activities for seniors provide various ways to improve memory and cognitive functionality, which is very important to Nadire. Her family has a history of dementia, which sparked her to research “how to improve memory.” Studies have found that art therapies, ranging from music to painting, can improve cognitive function in seniors and prevent cognitive decline.
Art projects not only stimulate brain activity but also the growth of new pathways. When Nadire applies her creativity and imagination to a canvas, she’s strengthening her brain and promoting neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the flexibility of cognitive functionality, enriching our lives by sharpening our minds.
Stress Management: Maintaining Emotional Balance
Celino Joss is a resident of a retirement home, but he recently lost his wife. He’s experiencing difficulties expressing his feelings because he only felt comfortable expressing them to his wife. One of his retirement home neighbors invites him to a summer craft for seniors. Celino never considered himself artistic, but he feels better being around his senior community.
As Celino’s hands sculpt the clay, he finds himself in a meditative state. In truth, art projects for seniors have been shown to reduce feelings of depression and stress. The relaxation response Celino experiences is one way that art can help manage stress. Creative activities for seniors can also raise serotonin levels, improving mood. Research also shows that arts and crafts for seniors reduce anxiety.
However, one of the best things art programs like sculpting can do for Celino is help him manage life adjustments. Art therapy offers a way to commemorate and process the loss of his wife. It empowers Celino to express himself in nonverbal means, relieving his grief. It is important to note that art projects for seniors are just one way to process grief. Art therapy activities for seniors work best when they supplement other mental health resources like therapy.
Improved Mood: Boosting Self-Esteem
Lotario Julius and his wife, Lucía Julius, are transitioning from independent senior living to assisted living. It has become increasingly difficult to fulfill daily living tasks, and after one too many falls, Lotario can no longer deny it. It can be hard to admit and accept help, especially as we’ve been independent our whole lives. While it was not easy, it was the right thing to do for Lotario and Lucía. However, adjusting to assisted living has left them both with lower self-esteem.
As mentioned, art projects for seniors can improve mood by reducing stress, increasing serotonin, and helping us express ourselves. Arts and crafts for seniors can boost self-esteem through skill development. Over the course of weeks and months, the married couple watches their lumps of clay transform into better and better pottery pieces. Completing art projects for seniors gives them a tangible sense of accomplishment. As discussed earlier, developing new skills helps maintain cognitive functionality.
By participating in weekly art programs, Lotario and Lucía hone their pottery skills and provide encouragement for one another. Completing art projects for seniors boosts self-esteem and self-efficacy. The Julius’ senior apartment in the assisted living wing of their continuing care retirement community used to feel drab. Now, it is filled with vibrant colors, happy recent memories, and several pottery pieces journeying their artistic development.
Motor Skills: Enhancing Coordination and Dexterity
Prachi Floella is the grandmother of over a dozen lovely grandchildren. However, she is experiencing the stiff and limiting effects of arthritis. Thankfully, arts and crafts for seniors enhance hand-eye coordination, fine motor functions, and dexterity.
Art therapy activities for seniors involve handling art materials like paintbrushes, pencils, clay, and knitting needles. As Prachi tries out these crafts for seniors, she improves her hand-eye coordination. Prachi settles on knitting and crocheting as she can give her completed art projects to her grandchildren. However, knitting and crocheting enhance her dexterity and hand strength. The repetitive motions ease Prachi’s arthritis symptoms by keeping her finger joints active. Knitting also promotes the fine motor skills of the hand, which helps Prachi stay independent in her senior living community for longer.
Social Interaction: Building and Maintaining Friendships
All the art activities for seniors we’ve discussed are held in group sessions. However, there are opportunities to practice individually. Community-based art programs have been shown to have wide-ranging health benefits. Collaborating on arts and crafts for seniors builds friendships in a safe and collaborative environment. Group classes combat loneliness while making it easy to maintain the habit. Overall, working on art projects for seniors with fellow seniors encourages us to lead active lives.
Art classes are not the only opportunity to build community. Many retirement communities host art expos, where residents showcase their work. As Prachi Floella mails a crocheted critter to her grandchild, she passes an exhibit wall. Lotario and Lucía Julius discuss the fun they had with pottery. From their painted ceramics, you would never guess they were beginners just last year. Celino Joss proudly displays a unique abstract expressionist sculpture with a little plaque dedicating it to his late wife. Nadire Rhea would normally be too shy to display any of her finished paintings, but talking to Celino emboldened her to share.
Another senior community hosts Art Talks, a discussion group held as part of Cogir Senior Living’s Aria Arts Program. They are reminiscent of those engaging, thoughtful dialogues many enjoy in college but without the homework. Tribute at Black Hill guides residents through art history, starting from medieval art all the way to our modern era. For someone like Nadire Rhea, who spent their working life in STEM, art history can reignite curiosity. Engaging in active learning improves our cognitive functionality and empowers us to be active in our community.
Recently, Tribute at Black Hill hosted an Art Talk called Is it art? Residents examined advertisements, tattoos, and book illustrations to ask, “Is it art?” It led to fruitful discussions. Of course, there were differing opinions, but everyone walked away with a greater appreciation for art. That kind of critical thinking not only keeps our minds healthy but also enriches our lives. We enjoy art— and, by extension— life a little more.
Examples of Arts Programming for Seniors: Exploring Creative Opportunities
There is a wide range of art programs to explore in our care communities. We touched on painting classes, sculpture workshops, knitting clubs, and pottery. However, there are plenty more arts and crafts for seniors, such as music therapy sessions. For example, you can amplify your singing voice at the Cogir Choir. For those who enjoy the great outdoors, there is wood carving and gardening. Many retirement home residents greatly benefit from writing, whether it’s daily journaling, fun fiction, or autobiographical writing. There is an artistic opportunity for everyone!
Conclusion
Creative activities for seniors provide enjoyable ways to sharpen the mind, reduce stress, process feelings, manage mood, enhance dexterity, and enrich communities. Art projects for seniors provide holistic benefits across cognitive, emotional, social, and physical health. Embrace the power of the arts. Contact us to discover how these programs can positively impact seniors’ well-being.
About Cogir Senior Living
What sets Cogir apart is the company’s devoted approach to creating healthy, vibrant communities that offer residents exceptional independent living, assisted living, and memory care lifestyle options. Cogir Senior Living develops, owns, and/or operates 64 lifestyle communities throughout the United States.
