Arts, Health and Seniors Project

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Arts, Health and Seniors Project
Healthy Aging through the Arts
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Arts in Healthcare a SnapshotArts, Health and
Seniors Project
Hospital-based
Health-professionals
Community-based
Arts in the Environment
Arts in Health Promotion
Arts in the Environment
Participatory Arts
Community-engaged Arts
Participatory Arts
Art Therapy
Art Therapy
Arts and Humanities in education of health
professionals
Experiential Arts
Arts with Marginalized Groups
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Health Impacts of Community ArtsArts, Health and
Seniors Project
Results from Creativity and Aging Study (Cohen, 2006) Results from Creativity and Aging Study (Cohen, 2006) Results from Creativity and Aging Study (Cohen, 2006)
Intervention Group Control Group
Self-rated health status Better than baseline Worse than baseline
Doctor visits per year 9.37 in past year 13.19 in past year
Number of falls Less falls than baseline More falls than baseline
Hip damage Lower than control Higher than intervention
Medication use Slower increase More than baseline
Vision problems Less than baseline No change
Depression (GDS) Lower than control Higher than intervention
Loneliness Lower than control Higher than intervention
Morale Higher than control Lower than intervention
Activity levels 2 more than baseline 2 less than baseline
Baseline
Year One
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Project GoalsArts, Health and Seniors Project

• For artists and seniors to work together to
  explore new territory and to create works with
  meaning and power for themselves and for the
  others in their communities
• To maintain and/or improve the health and
  well-being of the seniors (all of whom face
  barriers of some kind) through their
  participation in community-engaged arts practices
• To create a supportive environment for community
  engaged arts practices and increase their use
  within centres for community programming and
  healthcare environments
• To demonstrate the positive impact of
  participation in arts based activities on the
  health and well-being of seniors in Vancouver
  and the North Shore

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Project ActivitiesArts, Health and Seniors
Project

• Community-engaged art workshops (September to
  May)
• Theme-based workshops (November and June)
• Arts Experiences
• Annual Performances and Exhibitions (April and
  May)
• Research and Evaluation

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Seniors GroupsArts, Health and Seniors Project
Renfrew
Britannia
Silver Harbour
Strathcona
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Process EvaluationArts, Health and Seniors
Project

• Document the implementation of the project
• Provide ongoing monitoring of the implementation
  process
• Facilitate knowledge-sharing strategies within
  the group and with other groups

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Outcome EvaluationArts, Health and Seniors
Project

• Generate evidence of the health and well-being
  impact of involvement in the arts (AHS Research
  Strategy)
• Assess other OMF Outcomes of the Project
  including
• Increase ability of participant artists and
  seniors workers for engaging in community-arts
  programming with seniors
• Increase artistic skills among participant
  seniors
• Exhibitions and performances engaging the general
  public and demonstrating role of seniors as
  active members of community
• Community learning opportunities (theme-based
  workshops)

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Health and well-being researchAHS Outcome
Evaluation

• Mixed methods approach
• Combination of quantitative and qualitative
  approaches to collect data from artists, senior
  workers and participating seniors participant
  observation, individual and group interviews,
  measurement scales, and questionnaires and
  surveys
• This longitudinal study will collect baseline,
  mid-study and post-intervention health data from
  Jan. 2007- Jan. 08
• Convenience sampling
• Outputs evaluation, report and data for further
  research
• How does involvement in community engaged arts
  affect the health and well being of senior
  participants physical health, mental health,
  social function and health services use.

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Participatory Action ResearchArts, Health and
Seniors Project

• Participatory Evaluation of the project
• Peer documentation stories of seniors by
  seniors
• Online journalism, video documentation,
  photography and radio

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Community of PracticeArts, Health and Seniors
Project

• Encourage reflective practice and
  knowledge-sharing among participant artists and
  seniors workers
• Face-to-face meetings online forum
• Mentoring opportunities for practitioners outside
  the program
• Forum started on September 2006 first meeting
  October 24th 2006

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Partners and FundersArts, Health and Seniors
Project
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Partners and FundersArts, Health and Seniors
Project