Barry Hessenius of the Western States Arts Federation, writing at his blog:
Everywhere today there are articles and media accounts of how the arts play a role in creative aging for seniors, and how that role is helping people growing older to live more interesting, productive, satisfying and fulfilling lives, and how that – plus a range of other intersections between the arts and medical care – is helping elders (and younger people too) maintain better health, recover quicker from health problems, and from surgery and chronic illnesses, and in addressing mental issues from Alzheimer’s and dementia to depression and anxiety.
A growing body of preliminary research is confirming what many in the arts sector long intuitively believed – that the engagement with the arts on multiple levels is simply good for the body, mind and soul – in very tangible, practical ways.
The Hewlett Foundation recently co-hosted, with Aroha Philanthropies, a meeting of leaders in the field called Artful Aging: The Transformative Power of Creativity, which Barry mentions in his post.
