One of the blessings of working with seniors is the perspective it has given me on a number of things that people under the age of 50 typically don't spend much time thinking about. Having had daily, first hand experiences with the various senior living options available, I am more resolved than ever to stay on top of the direction my life will take as I age.
Thankfully, the options and resources available to seniors today are far more extensive than they were even ten years ago. From independent living communities, to group homes, to continuing care retirement communities, the game has changed for aging in this country. The game is changing still.
A new initiative in California has many in the aging community taking note. The North Hollywood Senior Arts Colony is a community in California comprised of seniors who have strong ties to the arts. Whether an artist, an aspiring artist, or someone who has been a long-time patron of the arts, the NoHo Senior Arts Colony offers seniors opportunities that they will find almost nowhere else.
Activities and classes include Zumba, painting, sculpting, poetry, writing, literature, song writing, drum circles, film making, and every other art you could possibly imagine. And all of their classes are taught by college-level professionals. In this community, the arts and creativity are common themes which unify the residents. One of the highlights of this imaginarium of possibilities is the presence of a professional working theater company, the Road Theater Company.
The NoHo Senior Arts Colony is the realization of a non-profit program gaining significant acclaim. "EngAGE is a nonprofit that takes a whole-person approach to creative and healthy aging by providing arts, wellness, lifelong learning, community building and intergenerational programs to thousands of seniors." EngAGE programs are provided onsite at senior apartment communities and are open to seniors from the surrounding community as long as there is room in the class.
There are several key components to an EngAGE program:
1. The class is offered at no cost to the senior.
2. The classes are all taught by college-level professionals.
3. The design of the classes is geared towards older adults. Seniors have a voice in how the classes and programs are put together through focus groups, surveys and meetings. This gives a real sense of ownership to the clients.
4. The classes are run like college courses and operate on a semester basis. This allows participants to advance through different levels of programs which fosters the desire to create and achieve lifelong learning goals.
5. The classes all culminate in some sort of event to allow the seniors to showcase their new skills such as art shows, poetry readings, staged performances or even radio broadcasts.
There are currently three senior arts colonies which showcase the pioneering work of EngAGE programs with several more in the planning phases. Perhaps one resident summed it best when she looked at her other options and said "I was seeing a lot of seniors just being seniors, not doing anything. I never liked the idea of getting old."
Read more at:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/brooks/2013/10/28/retirement-arts-writing-senior-theater/2954525/
The idea of an Arts Colony is good to promote artistic talents in seniors. Senior Living Community should have indoor activities like art and craft, indoor games, meditation and yoga as well as outdoor ones like physical exercise, picnics, outings etc for the overall well being of seniors.
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