{"id":7744,"date":"2016-01-12T07:11:32","date_gmt":"2016-01-12T13:11:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/?p=7744"},"modified":"2017-09-19T11:40:22","modified_gmt":"2017-09-19T16:40:22","slug":"art-therapy-for-seniors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/01\/art-therapy-for-seniors\/","title":{"rendered":"Art Therapy for Seniors"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Art Therapy for Seniors<\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Art Therapy is fun <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> chalk full of benefits for aging seniors in all stages of life. The positives in creating art are countless, here are some top reasons to get started now:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enhances cognitive function and improves motor skills<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Offers a creative outlet<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Helps individuals relax<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Assists in socialization<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facilitates communication increasing self-esteem<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Offers sensory stimulation<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduces boredom which can lead to depression<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provides a sense of control<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Continue reading for tips on how you, as a family caregiver or as an Activities Director for a senior community, can use art as therapy for your senior loved ones or residents.<\/p>\n<h2>Getting Started<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choose an art medium that will highlight the inner talent of your loved one or resident. It may be a type of art that he or she has experience with or they may want experiment with something new. Beginning with inspiration helps spark one\u2019s imagination whether they are beginners or experienced in the art making process. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a project that has produced highly positive results among residents in various cognitive stages, you can do the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lay out interesting image(s) cut out of magazines or books. Images can then be collaged on a page using a glue stick. For the final step, use acrylic paint to color in desired areas. I have found that National Geographic and old picture books have nice images to work from.\u00a0<\/span>Two of my residents with dementia painted on top of pages I tore out of an old black and white story book. They were very proud of their pieces which sold for high bids at the auction I organized. Titles are &#8220;Man&#8217;s Best Friend&#8221; and &#8220;Window Gazing&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7748 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2015\/12\/IMG_2601-267x350.jpg\" alt=\"Art Therapy for Seniors\" width=\"267\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2015\/12\/IMG_2601-267x350.jpg 267w, https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2015\/12\/IMG_2601-768x1007.jpg 768w, https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2015\/12\/IMG_2601-781x1024.jpg 781w, https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2015\/12\/IMG_2601-1280x1678.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2015\/12\/IMG_2601.jpg 1661w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 267px) 100vw, 267px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7747 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2015\/12\/7bb21e0e-7c4d-4eee-ae1b-b1794bc408b8-279x350.jpg\" alt=\"Art Therapy for Seniors\" width=\"279\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2015\/12\/7bb21e0e-7c4d-4eee-ae1b-b1794bc408b8-279x350.jpg 279w, https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2015\/12\/7bb21e0e-7c4d-4eee-ae1b-b1794bc408b8-768x964.jpg 768w, https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2015\/12\/7bb21e0e-7c4d-4eee-ae1b-b1794bc408b8.jpg 787w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 279px) 100vw, 279px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another go-to favorite activity are <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/2015\/10\/adult-coloring-books\/\" target=\"_blank\">adult coloring books<\/a><\/strong>. They are flying off the shelves this year with their popular geometric and floral designs not widely available in the past. Check your local hobby or book store for availability. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Suggested Therapeutic Tools<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acrylic paints<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adult coloring books<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chalk pastels<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finger paint<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Charcoal<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clay<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Collage<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Crayons\/colored pencils<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Floral arrangement (natural or silk)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jewelry making accessories (larger beads work best)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Photography<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stamping<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Water color<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weaving <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Tips for Seniors with Limited Dexterity<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Try a medium that is easier to hold on to and requires little pressure to see results, such as thick pieces of chalk in darker colors, stamps dipped in paint, or large paint brushes to paint on a large surface area. If your loved one longer has range of motion or the ability to grip tools on their own, you can hold their hand in yours and gently guide them along. Some of my most memorable and precious moments are those using this technique with residents who where in late stages of dementia. Even in the late stages, it can be surprising how much a senior is capable of doing with some guidance and inspiration. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Tips for Seniors with Severe Cognitive Decline<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paint can be a great tool to use; however, be careful with colors that visually appear to be food. Red or yellow paint may be confused with ketchup or mustard. Always use non toxic paint and stick to non appetizing colors such as blues and greens. This helps to reduce confusion keeping the focus on the activity. In addition, blues and greens promote calmness and relaxation. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Art Therapy is not only beneficial to someone with dementia but for caregivers as well. Art can act as an outlet to relieve stress and promote positivity. Getting creative is a win-win for everyone. I encourage you to try something new today and see just what it can do for you!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Art Therapy for Seniors Art Therapy is fun and chalk full of benefits for aging seniors in all stages of life. The positives in creating art are countless, here are some top reasons to get started now: Enhances cognitive function and improves motor skills Offers a creative outlet Helps individuals relax Assists in socialization Facilitates communication increasing self-esteem Offers sensory [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6520,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[199,200,29],"tags":[30,125],"class_list":{"0":"post-7744","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-business-owners","7":"category-families-caregivers","8":"category-caregiving","9":"tag-caregiving-2","10":"tag-dementia-care"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Art Therapy for Seniors - SeniorAdvisor.com Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Art Therapy is fun\u00a0and\u00a0chalk full of benefits for aging seniors in all stages of life.\u00a0Here&#039;s how you, as a family caregiver or as an Activities Director for a senior community, can use art as therapy for your senior loved ones or residents.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Art Therapy for Seniors - 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