In Rural Kentucky Nursing Homes, Art May Be Key To Quality Of Life

Connecting with art enriches the lives of patients struggling with dementia and Alzheimers. Across Germany, several programs are using art to stimulate the minds of an aging population. At the Lehmbruck Museum in Duisburg, seniors meet to discuss art pieces that affect them. Elsewhere, in Bonn, the Demezionen theater ensemble performs for retirement homes. And even clowns can bring a positive atmosphere to seniors struggling with dementia!

Loneliness and social isolation are on the rise globally, and feelings of loneliness can be extremely detrimental to health and longevity. In Denmark, the "National Movement Against Loneliness" and GENLYD train community members to recognize signs of loneliness and refer those at risk to these programs and provide services such as group dinners and group activities based on hobby.

A few adult children have found that the simplest arrangement can be found in an apartment at the same retirement community, as it enables them to care for their elderly parents efficiently.

An alternative model to nursing homes is offering an innovative option that provides a comfortable, warm, and inviting environment to residents while also minimizing the spread of coronavirus. Green House Project (GHP) began as the brainchild of Dr. Bill Thomas, who sought to “humanize” nursing homes by creating home-based care for small groups of senior citizens. GHP has scaled the idea to 32 states by providing training to senior living providers on how to recreate the environment and resources necessary to help elders thrive and feel at home.

Several San Diego organizations bring pets into senior-living facilities and hospitals to provide the scientifically proven benefits of a pet's companionship. The focus on elderly people, including those with dementia, becomes a high point in the facilities' schedules. Research has shown pet therapy's benefits go beyond momentary comfort to emotional and even physical benefits.

The inclusion of music makes for a more healthful long-term care environment. The nonprofit organization, the Room 217 Foundation, helps lessen the effects of isolation suffered by seniors living in nursing facilities by providing them with access to music therapy. Using grants and with the help of research from the University of Toronto, Room 217 has developed a program that includes both musical activities for residents as well as performances.

Programs that promote interaction between young and old people benefit both groups emotionally. At a retirement community, Collington, music students perform for and interact with the residents in return for free room and board. Pop-up concerts and shared meals form friendships of the sort that research shows can reduce older adults' loneliness and increase their cognitive engagement. Young people gain in empathy, while both groups can make each other feel more needed. Programs responding to social isolation also bring children as young as infants into senior housing.

An epidemic of Hepititis C has been effecting members of the Cherokee Nation at alarming rates, while consistently going unnoticed. Establishing screening systems with free care for members, the Hep C Elimination Project has been tackling this issue.

The U.S. prison population is aging, which is costly because older inmates need more care. Some states have responded by creating special wards, having the young inmates care for the old, or building nursing homes.

Dissatisfied with the opportunities for residents of assisted living facilities to engage in creative pursuits, Tim Carpenter developed senior ‘art colonies’ that provided writing, performance, and visual arts classes. Equipped with studios and a performance space, artists work in the facility and double as instructors to residents. Residents are encouraged to set goals, take risks, and commit to learning new skills.