The field of creative ageing is burgeoning, with the arts, culture and heritage being relished by older people in the community. At the same time, evidence is building of the benefits of such activities to health and wellbeing.
But what about in residential care, which provides a home for more than 300,000 people in England? To shed light on this, Arts Council England commissioned Rebecca Gordon-Nesbitt to conduct a review of evidence examining the impact of arts engagement in care settings.
Among more than 300 studies, a wide range of benefits was reported, including: reductions in anxiety, depression and the symptoms of dementia-related psychosis; uplifts in wellbeing, quality of life and general mood within individuals and the wider home environment; and the generation of significant social value and potential savings on health, care and medication costs.
This evidence can, and should, be used to make the case for inclusion of the arts in every care home.
Read the full report here: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/research-and-data/evidence-review-arts-care-homes-older-people