This document discusses the benefits of creative activities for older adults. It notes that arts engagement can improve health outcomes, increase social engagement, and enhance well-being. The document also reviews several studies that found arts participation is associated with better health, fewer doctor visits, less medication usage, and increased activities among older adults. It provides examples of creative programs with older adults, including a writing group at a nursing home and a poetry reading group. The overall message is that creative pursuits provide cognitive, social, physical and emotional benefits for aging populations.

1. Creative activity and
ageing
Joan Healey
May 2015
Google images

2. The new world of medical
humanities

3. • “Arts Council England, the Department of
Health and many leading healthcare
experts firmly believe that the arts have an
important part to play in improving the
health and wellbeing of people in many
ways,”
• 2007 A prospectus for health

4. the myth of older people and the
assumptions of active or successful
ageing
• older people do not exist
• how we live our lives
• how society views us
• where we live
• economics and social exclusion

5. • 'The embracing notion of successful
ageing, like notions of 'healthy' or 'active'
ageing , with their implicit normative
standards, ultimately devalues those who
do not live up to their ideals.....'
• Holstein MB, Minkler M (2007)

6. Existing work
• Age of Creativity
• Equal arts
• Finnish Comprehensive service centres
• Long live arts
• Baring Foundation

7. a ladder to the moon
• Ladder to the moon
• creativity and change

8. Impact of engagement in the arts
and ageing
• Cohen(2009) RCT 300 people average
age 80 found that arts participants had
• better health
• fewer doctors visits
• less medication usage
• increased activities and social
engagement

9. Effects of participating in arts based
activities
• enhanced perceived control
• building a sense of self
• expression
• transforming illness experience
• sense of purpose
• building social support
(Perruza & Kinsella 2010)

10. cont:
• Mental health foundation (2011)
systematic review
• increased confidence and self-esteem
• counterbalance to low mood and anxiety
after loss
• some art forms lead to significant physical
health improvements - dance, singing and
playing musical instruments
• increase in general daily activity

11. wider impact of participation
• facilitates social interaction
• reduction in loneliness
• facilitates communication
• improved self esteem
• emotional, intellectual and social
stimulation

12. add on effects....
• benefits of freedom of expression and
identity
• learning a new skill - sense of
achievement
• inclusive and non competitive was
important
• culturally appropriate

14. Creative accounts of care
• The 'Creative accounts of care' project was a joint
venture with nursing staff, a local poet and
occupational therapy students. It involved running a
creative writing group over 10 weeks in a local care
home for older people. The aims were to capture their
experiences of being cared for and hear the voices of
people who rarely have a chance to tell their stories to
a wider public. The creative writing enabled individual
expression in a supportive environment and resulted in
a digital book of people's writing and poems. This
digital book is used in multi-disciplinary teaching in
the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing at Sheffield
Hallam.

15. Poetry group
• 8 week poetry reading group in nursing
home
• qualitative interviews
• social engagement
• reminiscence
• identity

16. Creative writing
• over to you ...............

17. References
• Arts Council 2007 A prospectus for arts and health
http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/publication_archive/a-prospectus-for-arts-and-health/
• Cohen G (2009) New theories and research findings on the positive influence of
music and art on health and ageing. Arts and health. 1 (1) 48 - 63
• Holstein MB, Minkler M (2007) Critical gerontology: reflections on the 21st century, in
Bernard M, Scharf T (eds) Critical perspectives on ageing societies. Bristol: Policy
Press
• Perruzza N, Kinsella EA (2010) Creative arts occupations in therapeutic practice: a
review of the literature. British journal of occupational therapy. 73 (6) 261 - 268
• Reynolds J (2015) Stories of creative ageing. Working with older people. 19 (1) 33-
40
• Welcome Trust (2014) Where does it hurt? The new world of medical humanities
http://wellcomecollection.org/sites/default/files/where-does-it-hurt.pdf