Working Caregiver- Hobbies

Art and aging - Inspire, Encourage and Offer Expression for Adults

Art Activities for Seniors

smiling senior woman Art and aging; two things that should go hand in hand to inspire, encourage and offer expression for seniors who are in need of a little bit of a pick me up during their elder years. Art activities can of course be done at home, but some experts now say that having an amateur - like a working caregiver - try to lead an art program for the benefit of a senior's growth and self-expression is just like handing an average person a scalpel and expecting that they're going to be able to perform heart surgery. So, careigivers, if you've been thinking that a few simple arts and crafts at home are going to offer the therapeutic and communicative benefits to your loved ones that you've been looking for, you just might want to think again.

While certainly leading an art activity in your home can not do any harm, do not set your heart on any drastic changes surfacing in your loved one unless you allow an expert to step in either through enrollment in a class, or under the guidance of a book that specializes in art activities for seniors. Wherever you get your inspiration to get an art activity, make sure it's a project that can be ongoing so that your loved one has plenty of opportunity to exercise their creativity and really gain a sense of accomplishment for what they have created over time, and make sure that the environment is quiet so that they can focus on nothing other than their creation. Having grandchildren or pets running around might be distracting and take away from the experience of the creative process that will provide the best benefit to your older adult.

Skill level of your senior has no bearing, so give them the space to do their own thing, so the creative process can take over. They don't have to paint like Monet, but should feel like as much of an artist as the renowned painter himself while they are knee deep in their project.

Art and aging are two things that are definitely a good match, but do you agree with the "experts" that claim that effective art can only be lead by someone in the field. Share your experience with art as a caregiver, and tell us how you have managed to shoot down this conception about effective artistic expression.

Via: Washington Post