Todays Webinar Honoring the Sacredness of Aging through Art with Dr' Alicia Fahr, owner and director

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Sponsored by the National Interfaith Coalition on
Aging (NICA) And the National Institute of Senior
Centers (NISC) interest groups of the National
Council on Aging
Todays WebinarHonoring the Sacredness of Aging
through Artwith Dr. Alicia Fahr, owner and
director of the Living with Dignity Center
WELCOME
This session will begin at 130pm ESTIn
addition to logging onto the web site, please
make sure you also call in to hear the audio
portion.For audio Call 866-740-1260
participant code 4796667Personal introductions
are not necessaryThe moderator will be on the
line shortly
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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• Presenter
• Alicia
  V. Fahr, PhD, LPC
• 
  Gerontology Core Faculty

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• How do older adults manage MH symptoms?
• Loneliness
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Difficulty coping

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• MH symptoms, continued
• Anger
• Confusion
• Forgetfulness
• Memory loss

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• How do older adults manage losses?
• Social roles
• Friends
• Independence
• Physical
• stamina

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• Losses continued
• Jobs
• Health status
• Control of life
• Cognitive functioning

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• How do older adults view the world?
• Competitive
• Ageist
• Youth oriented
• Age-defying

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• Views of the world, continued
• Death-denying
• Productivity minded
• Independence driven
• Discriminatory

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• How do older adults and caregivers cope with
  dementia?
• Isolation
• Wandering
• Personality
• changes
• Poor verbal expression

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• Dementia
• Decreased language comprehension
• Disorientation to person, place and time
• Inability to recall names or words

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• Effects of Dementia
• Relationship strains
• Overwhelmed
• Frustration
• Fear
• Sadness

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• Art Coping

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• Art Creates New Pathways to the Brain

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• Art Enhances
• Visions
• Creativity
• Imagination
• Empowerment
• Dreams
• Spirituality

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• Art Enhances
• Groundedness
• Transcendence
• Exploration
• Risk-taking
• Self-esteem

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• Art Enhances, continued
• Having a voice
• Self-worth
• Healing
• Relationships

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• Art Provides
• Feeling of wholeness
• Hope
• Sense of oneness with the world or universe
• Experience of being in Gods presence

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• Spiritual Activities
• (any activity that provides an older adult with)
• a sense of oneness with the world or
  universe
• the experience of being in Gods
  presence
• meaning to ones life experiences
• a feeling of wholeness
• hope
• connected to someone or something

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Spiritual versus Religious

• Religious Activities
• Prayer
• Communion
• Church attendance
• Choir participation
• Confession
• Offerings

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Spirituality and Old Age

• Various avenues exist for older adults to
  maintain a sense of personal value.
• Volunteering
• Exploring spiritual avenues, i.e., yoga,
  meditation, etc.
• Leisure activities
• Personal growth opportunities
• Increased civic engagement in the form of
  activism and voting
• Self-education on local and national political
  issues and processes

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Spirituality and Aging

• Older adults have learned to feed their
  spirits with some of the following favorite
  activities that are not religious, per se
• gardening
• traveling
• volunteering
• fishing
• taking an art class
• learning to play a musical instrument
• reading
• playing with grandchildren
• going to shows and concerts
• creativity

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Spiritual Care of Seniors

• Art with multi-media
• Creativity (the process is what is healing)
• Music (singing hymns)
• Horticulture
• Intergenerational Activities
• Yoga
• Exercise (walks)
• Labyrinth
• Social Outings
• Pet therapy (Jasper)

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Spiritual Care of Seniors

• Massage therapy (chair and Reiki energy)
• Memory care
• Presence
• Metaphysics
• Drumming
• Expressive arts (drama, dance, movement)
• Poetry writing
• Song writing
• Documentaries
• Socialization

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Spiritual Care of Seniors

• Sensual experiences (clay)
• Recognition of knowing
• Art (not crafts)
• Memory reminders
• Shoe display
• Meaning making
• Metaphysics
• Story-telling
• Prayer groups
• Community projects (Veterans, animal shelters)

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• Art Provides
• Meaning to ones life experiences
• Connection to someone or something

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• Is This Art?
• Is This Therapy?
• Horticulture
• or Gardening
• Drumming
• Singing
• Dancing

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• Is This Art?
• Is This Therapy?
• Yoga
• Memory reminders
• Sensual experiences (clay)

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• Is This Art?
• Is This Therapy?
• Intergenerational art
• Theatre skits
• Poetry writing
• Song writing

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• Is This Art? Is This Therapy?
• Recognition
• of knowing
• Socialization
• Finding oneself

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• Is This Art?
• Is This Therapy?
• Presence
• Metaphysics
• Documentaries
• Community

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art

• Is This Art?
• Is This Therapy?
• Story-telling
• Prayer groups
• Meaning-making
• Community projects

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The Sacredness of Aging through Art
Arts Goal To honor the sacredness of old age

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QUESTIONS?
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• Thank you for attending!
• To continue the conversation with Dr. Fahr
• Log onto
• www.ncoacrossroads.org
• There you will also find todays PowerPoint
• Go to the group senior centers
• And look in the library section
• For more information on Alicia V. Fahr, PhD, LPC
• and the Living with Dignity Center in Coon
  Rapids, MN
• email fallspirit_at_aol.com