What makes art therapy unique is the interaction with varied art materials. Whenever I go to art shops, materials are categorized for children, for students and for professionals. There are a few products around that are made with older people living with dementia in mind, but they are not readily available.
As an art therapist for aged care residents, working with older people means thoughtful consideration of their needs. It’s important to use appropriate art materials that enable art activities to be accessible, uncomplicated and comfortable.
Here are some things to consider together with practical examples for facilitating art therapy / art activities for aged care residents.
Think about dexterity
When I talk about dexterity, fine motor skills such as gripping and holding are things to be considered. Each person is different – one might be able to manage knitting and someone else might experience hand pain from arthritis.
First we must find out what is comfortable for our residents before we can offer support - it is important not to make assumptions.
Ergonomic paintbrush
A great example of an available product that is appropriate for older people is the ergonomic paintbrush by DaVinci Manolino. The round wooden handle makes for an easy grip while maintaining the professional quality of the brush.
You’ve probably seen something similar before but made of plastic and comes in pastel colours. These are marketed for young children as their first paintbrush. I avoid these brushes as they can be infantilizing for older adults. Perhaps the Manolino was also made with infants in mind – the translation to English is “little hands”. However, quality of the brush – the handle, the bristles and the overall look are very well made.
Arts and crafts
There are endless choices for craft materials these days that come in all shapes and sizes. I tend to go for the bigger ones to make it easier for the residents to pick them up. At times, it may be necessary to help out and pick out little things but it’s always a good idea to encourage independence in the creative process. More about that in this article.
Make it easy to succeed without taking away their agency by providing appropriate materials.
An example of bigger craft options are gem stickers which we often use for embellishments. The good thing about the gem stickers is they come in all colours, shapes and sizes. If there is an option to offer the bigger one that is easy to pick, rather than the tiny ones that might cause frustration, opt for the one that will offer a leisurely experience.
Make it clear to see
Visual arts is an integral component of art therapy for aged care. Providing materials that are clearly visible is another important factor to consider. For older people living with dementia, providing visual cues or cognitive ramps enables them to process information better.
Watercolor discs that shows the actual colours
I love using these watercolour discs because they are highly pigmented which makes the colours appear vividly on paper. However, the actual colour is not clearly represented in each circle and usually appears darker. This can cause uncertainty and interrupt the creative flow.
These DIY colour palettes that I laminated and put under each disc helps identify the colours of each circle. They help avoid confusion by making it clear how each colour will appear on paper. A visual aid such as this one can encourage a more effortless process.
Collage images
Magazine cut-outs are a great way to get creative juices flowing. They can be used for collage which is a good introduction into art therapy especially for someone who may not think of them as an artist. Images can be used as a starting point and to encourage storytelling and reminiscing.
I often encourage residents to cut the image themselves to practice fine motor skills. If the images are too small, they are less effective for the process. It can be helpful to draw a bold outline around the image to prompt where to cut. The more visible and clear the image is, the better it is.
Adapt when necessary
As art therapists, artist and art facilitators, we also need to be creative in adapting art materials to better suit the resident’s needs when necessary. In individual art therapy for aged care sessions, I am familiar with what works best for my resident. Sometimes you learn as you go and you have to be quick on providing a solution on the spot. Being adaptable is essential when facilitating art therapy for older adults living with dementia.
Celery stick
In one of my sessions as an art therapist for an aged care resident, we used celery sticks as stamps to create a flower. The celery stick proved to be hard to grip and it was evident that an adjustment was needed. By wrapping tissue around it and keeping them together using an elastic band, it provided my resident somewhere thicker to grip. Creating this “handle” around the celery stick improved the experience a lot.
Cotton buds
Another example of adapting to improve the art activity is when we needed to use a cotton bud for mixing oil pastel with baby oil. Cotton buds are one of those things that can be used creatively in art projects. However, when the instruction is to use a singular cotton bud, this can be challenging because of the size. Instead we used a few cotton buds to create a thick handle and wrapped the top in cotton with an elastic band. What resulted was a giant cotton bud and this allowed the resident to handle it better and make bigger movements when mixing colours together.
Key takeaways:
- Consider each resident’s dexterity when providing options for paint brushes
- Make it easy to succeed without taking away their agency
- Be adaptable and creative when providing solutions on the spot
We may not have readily available art materials that are tailored for older adults, but making simple changes can contribute to a more positive art therapy experience. In Engaged Art Therapy, our art therapists are experienced in working with older adults in aged care and we always keep their needs in mind. To find out more about how we support aged care residents through art therapy, contact us here.
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