Creativity and various activities that promote the mind are commonly used across numerous health-related areas to great effect, and the world of senior care is no different. Art therapy and other creative outlets are regularly promoted by programs ranging from assisted living facilities to memory care services, often with fantastic benefits for patients.
The patients and caregivers with Avamere at Mountain Ridge are no different. Our assisted living and memory care programs include numerous arts and crafts opportunities, plus several other activities meant to stimulate the mind and body while helping create an enjoyable atmosphere for all our guests. Whether you’re a loved one of a senior considering our facility or a full-time caregiver looking to this outlet to improve your care, here are some of the benefits of arts and crafts to seniors, plus some typical ideas or programs to promote.
Direct Benefits of Arts and Creativity
Per numerous areas of research, including a study from Basel, Switzerland in the mid-2000s, engaging in artistic, creative activities has several direct positive benefits, particularly to those with dementia or other memory-related conditions. Some of these direct benefits include:
- Improved happiness and decreased depression symptoms
- Reduction in anxiety
- Increases the power of the immune system
It’s important to note that these benefits hold true even for people who do not consider themselves particularly artistic or creatively talented. Researchers indicate that the process of creating itself, not the result of the project, is what promotes the benefits we listed above.
Ideas for Seniors
As we noted, our memory care and assisted living programs contain numerous built-in artistic and creative activities. If you’re a loved one of one of our guests and are concerned they aren’t getting enough time in these activities, speak with one of our caring staff members immediately.
For at-home caregivers or those looking for some fun ideas for their next visit with a senior loved one, here are several artistic themes that commonly do well:
- Greeting cards: Whether it’s to wish family members a happy birthday or prep for an upcoming holiday, there are numerous ways to flex the creative muscles with greeting and other cards.
- Scrapbooking: Many seniors enjoy looking back at some of their favorite memories, and scrapbooking accomplishes this while also bringing the benefits of increased creativity.
- Coloring: Some seniors really enjoy basic coloring activities, particularly those whose movements may be somewhat limited and who may struggle with more detailed projects.
- Family tree: Another fun and often meaningful project to help a senior loved one with is a family tree diagram that represents the entire extended family.
For more ideas on senior arts and crafts, or to learn about any of our related assisted living programs, speak to the staff with Avamere at Mountain Ridge today.