Here at Moving Waves, we believe that the Arts are for everyone, irrespective of age. Think everything and anything from making music, creative writing and dance through to yoga and arts and crafts. We do it all at Moving Waves and below you can read about some of the benefits you can expect when you book a session – or several – with us!
Everyone needs to connect – it’s a fundamental part of the human condition. For older people, especially those in hospital or care home settings, who are no longer in their home environment, it’s even more important to feel a sense of connection to their peers, care home staff and facilitators. This can be as simple as having somebody to chat to, having a dance partner or enjoying an interactive story session.
During lockdown, older people were one of the most adversely affected groups. To protect their health and minimise the risk of infection, many isolated at home, having little or no connection with family or friends for months at a time. Even when the rest of the UK’s lockdown lifted, those in care homes faced ongoing restrictions regarding visitor access. Sadly, one of the main effects of this was older people feeling lonely, isolated and disconnected from the rest of the population with corresponding levels of fear, anxiety and depression.
The good news is that regular creative sessions can reduce loneliness, improve communication and build a sense of belonging. Julene K. Johnson, Ph.D., of the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing conducted studies on various choir groups and observed the positive effects regular meet ups had on participants. According to Johnson, “Access to regular activities is vital for older adults to remain active and engaged in their community.” Hear, hear! I couldn’t agree more. At Moving Waves, we believe that this sense of connection is developed and fostered through creative means.
I believe that anyone can be an artist. In fact, most people already are. They just haven’t been told it. Or rather, they’ve forgotten. We constantly hear that the younger you are, the more creative you are and as you age, you lose that spark. I think that’s rubbish. It’s more the case that as we get older, we become more afraid to take creative risks. It’s so much easier to blame that fear on a loss of creativity. The same is true for learning to swim or speak a new language. Children aren’t afraid to splash around or say the wrong words – they just go for it. We just need to put our inhibitions aside and embrace the moment!
I have run several creative writing groups with older people and the resultant poems have very much reflected their unique ideas. My advice is to show the group a series of images and ask what they see and later how the images can connect. The theme can be anything, a day on the beach, going on the train, being in a forest or even fighting a dragon. Be sure to source interesting and interactive images with lots of colour, details and action so that there is something there that every participant can connect with.
Running a low-stakes, fun session like this will bring out the best in people of any age and allow them to take creative risks. There are no wrong answers. All responses are good and can lead to the most magical stories. As a facilitator, be ready for everything and anything. What makes it low-stakes is that there is little risk of someone feeling like they ‘got it wrong’ and feeling embarrassed as a result. Make the conversation open with lots of interactive elements such as music and textures. Read more about my five, must-have resources here.
Arts and Crafts is yet another wonderful way to let your creatively run wild. Not only is it creative, but it is also relaxing and mediative. Pop on some of the group’s favourite music and you can run a session that is sure to prove that irrespective of age, everyone is an artist! What is important is that you let yourself go, think with the freedom of a child and know that no matter what age, you are creative.
Activities can be themed to the season, such as making masks for Halloween, making scrapbooks for birthdays, egg crafts for Easter and Christmas garlands for the holiday season. Making the craft simple yet with lots of space for personality will allow everyone to show you exactly who they are creatively.
According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, dementia is “A general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities.” However, Moving Waves, part of the Dementia Friends network, offers creative activities suitable for people with dementia.
This means that our facilitators are trained with kindness and understand how dementia can affect participants. Armed with this knowledge, suitable activities can be modified for people who are affected by dementia. Interested in learning more? Get inspired with my recent blog, which describes Five Activities for People with Dementia.
One of the main benefits that the Arts can offer is increased brain activity. From problem solving to building a creative ‘flow’ – a calm mediative state where creating comes easily. All of this makes the neurological pathways light up with excitement.
Girija Kaimal, professor at Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA and art therapy researcher, believes that the Arts are key to a busy brain. When we create, we start with a blank page and as we create, we progress and this progression is key to making us feel good. It’s effectively a reward. According to Kaimal, "Engaging in any sort of visual expression results in the reward pathways in the brain being activated, which means that you feel good and it's perceived as a pleasurable experience." That sounds a good enough reason to me!
Most importantly, at the end of the day, we all just want to let our hair down and cut loose. That desire to have fun, be it through yoga, singing, dance or otherwise should not be denied to anyone. We’re still the same people inside, no matter how young or old we are. Age is just a number!
I have outlined lots of reasons to get involved with the team at Moving Waves. We work with all ages and all abilities. In fact, we love that diversity! Our facilitators are best in class and no matter what kind of session you are looking for, we can help!
Check out our website for more information on what we offer and stay connected with us through our social media channels. Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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