Access to the arts can provide older people in care with the cognitive stimulation that is so effective in combating loneliness, isolation and anxiety. Multiple studies persuasively show the benefits of arts engagement for care home residents and staff.
Benefits for Older People
- Improve alertness, happiness and independence
- Improve social interaction
- Improve verbal and non verbal communication
- Improve face name recognition
- Improve ability to recall life events
- Decrease fear, anxiety and agitation
- Aid bonding between service users and caregivers
Collective Encounters, Arts and Dementia: bringing professional arts practice into care settings: 2013
Benefits for Care Staff
- Help care staff to process the human tragedies that they are exposed to
- Improve empathy
- Improve skills of observation
- Increase awareness
- Aid communication
- Grow understanding of people across genders, races and cultures
Dr Rosalia Staricoff, Arts In Health: a review of the medical literature: 2004
Making Time provides evaluation support to track the impact of our arts activities in each organisation we work with.
“We urge NHS England to include the arts in personalised post-diagnostic support for people with dementia.”
Quote cited in: All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing Inquiry Report: Creative Health: The Arts for Health and Wellbeing, 2017
Josephine by Nick Knight