If you are taking care of a senior loved one, you may probably have asked yourself what has art got to do with your caregiving duties. But did you know that there are actually a lot of studies which prove the effectiveness of creative modalities, such as Art Therapy, in influencing positive changes when you’re taking care of your senior loved one? Art therapy will allow physiological and psychological recovery because it helps your loved ones express their creative selves and thus, augments the quality of life.
Never underestimate the power of art when you infuse it in delivering care services to your loved ones. When art therapy is put together with lifestyle programs, it enhances the happiness felt by your loved ones and lessens their feelings of anxiety or depression. Check these benefits suggested by Senior Home Care in Pennsylvania about what art can do for them:
- A Form of Self-Expression
Through art, it becomes a tool for your senior loved ones to express themselves, especially when they are physically debilitated to do so. Even in their old age, art becomes a powerful tool because it brings meaning to their days and helps share what they truly feel inside to the people around them. It can be said that art has the capacity to let out their long forgotten memories which are essential in their holistic development. - Keeps Them Active
Art is a very potent recreational activity that will help keep your loved ones stay mentally active. It is a fun and fulfilling activity to do and it will help reduce the feelings of boredom felt by your loved ones. Art should fill your parents’ free time so they can always have something to look forward to. - Hones Their Motor Skills
Through the different strokes, making of lines, and coloring within a specified area, your senior parents can exercise purposeful and fine movements that will let them develop their fine and gross motor skills. This will also help them enhance coordination. - Stimulates the Mind
Your senior loved ones can convey the meaning of their art by discussing it with you. It expands their mindsets by looking at things in various perspectives. Discussion of their art creation is a form of intellectual stimulation that it lets them express their deep-seated feelings and emotions which enable them to dissipate feelings of pain or anxiety.
It is never too late to engage your loved ones in art activities, so they can experience an improvement in their lives. Allow them to carry paints, pens, markers, watercolors, or any art materials to help them unleash their creative spirits and express their emotions through art. It may not be immediate to see a breakthrough in your loved ones’ daily routine as they engage in art, nonetheless, art therapy is a fun and exciting activity they’ll love to look forward to each day. This allows them to relax and enjoy the time in their golden years.
