Topic: creative aging
What is your role at Aging Wisdom? Creative Engagement Specialist
What made you want to work in the field of aging? My grandparents were always a big part of my childhood growing up and I got to spend time with my great-grandparents as well learning about their lives and experiences. I naturally have an affinity for older adults and I feel drawn to support those in vulnerable stages of life. …
Grief and loneliness following the death of his wife of over 50 years led one of my clients to engage in a lifelong interest in singing. He now regularly practices breathing and singing during our weekly Creative Engagement visits. Not only has he had great improvement in mood, self-confidence, hydration, and even his balance, but my client now regularly performs for fellow residents at his care community! His joy is shared.
We love exploring ways to enrich our clients’ lives through the arts
Creative activity through the arts has been shown to reduce isolation, loneliness, and depression. Arts engagement provides outlets for expressions of personhood and empowers participants to make choices and explore interests. …
What is your role at Aging Wisdom?
Creative Engagement Specialist
What made you want to work in the field of aging?
My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s eight years ago, and I wanted to learn as much as I could about the disease. It inspired me to want to work in memory care, specifically to support people with dementia as well as their family and friends. …
What is your role at Aging Wisdom?
I am a Creative Engagement Specialist.
What made you want to work in the field of aging?
Growing up I was surrounded by elders. As a young child, I would accompany my mother when she would go to visit elderly friends and family. Little did I know at the time how that experience would leave a lasting impression on me. …
What is your role at Aging Wisdom?
Director of Creative Engagement
What made you want to work in the field of aging?
Dementia is in my family – I’ve lost two grandparents to dementia and now my mother is living with it. When my paternal grandmother died in 2007, I began volunteering with Alzheimer’s organizations. My maternal grandfather died from the disease in 2014 – the summer after my first year of graduate school where I was first introduced to the idea of “creative aging” and started volunteering with the Frye Art Museum. It married two loves for me – older adults and art. That year was full of “what if’s” thinking about my grandparents’ care and engagement. I knew we could do better as a family, community and country in taking care of older adults. …
This month as we celebrate Pride, we at Aging Wisdom want to highlight some meaningful moments our Creative Engagement Specialists have had connecting with our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) older adult clients through tailored, personalized engagement. …
“Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” ~Betty Friedan
Our team at Aging Wisdom are avid readers. It’s not uncommon for us to routinely share books, ideas that have sprung from reading, or to attend author events for that extra infusion of inspiration.
Reading, discussing, and brainstorming affirms our work as Care Managers and Creative Engagement Specialists. We also discover new ways to support clients in navigating options for living, caring, and aging well. …
Here are a few of many reasons we love libraries.
We see it every day at Aging Wisdom, the subtle and profound ways knowledge empowers our clients, their families, our colleagues, and the allied professionals with whom we work.
For our clients, being informed and knowledgeable builds confidence. The more they know, the better they understand changes in health, evaluate options, manage difficult situations, make more informed choices and wiser decisions. …
It’s National Library Week: “There’s More to the Story”Read More »
Ask anyone for advice about living a long, healthy life and you’ll probably hear tips about the importance of eating well, stopping smoking, exercising, and getting regular medical checkups. Don’t throw those good habits out the window; but, it may come as a shock to learn that connecting with others may be the single most important ingredient for aging well. …
Art can be created and experienced in many forms. Dance. Collage. Painting. Drumming. Pottery. Singing. Acting. Writing. Gardening. Knitting. Poetry. Sewing. Storytelling. Drawing. Even cooking.
The effect of experiencing or making art when living with dementia can be profound. We see this every day in our work as Creative Engagement Specialists and Care Managers. …