Using the arts to enhance eldercare

SINGAPORE — Some are less mobile and agile than they once were, but all 24 of the seniors performed with confidence the hand movements they had practised before an audience at the Esplanade.

They were taking part in a production titled The Rite Of Spring: A People’s Stravinsky, organised by The Philharmonic Orchestra, Singapore and THE ARTS FISSION Company in collaboration with the Esplanade in June last year.

The aim, said Ms Angela Liong, Artistic Director at THE ARTS FISSION Company, was to help change society’s perception of seniors as frail and dependent. “We presented the elderly as wise, solemn and powerful when they performed their roles. It’s possible to empower them through the arts.”

Whether it is to address a social perception, used during therapy for those suffering from dementia or simply pursued as a hobby, the arts is becoming recognised as a tool to meet the varying needs of seniors in Singapore.

Currently, 22 of 45 voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) under the National Arts Council’s (NAC) ArtReach Programme, which seeks to increase the accessibility of the arts for communities in wellness, intervention and rehabilitation, are eldercare organisations.

The council also offers a Presentation and Participation Grant for arts practitioners and organisations to increase participation in and appreciation of the arts in Singapore. Since 2012, seven of the 22 eldercare organisations under the ArtReach programme have tapped this grant, which supports half of a project’s budget, capped at S$50,000 per financial year for each applicant.

One group tapping the healing powers of art is the Alzheimer’s Disease Association, which has developed museum and photography tours designed to stimulate the senses and memory of those suffering from dementia.

Seniors have also been keeping active by pursuing their passion in the performing arts scene. The Theatre for Seniors under non-profit theatre company The Necessary Stage has about 90 members involved in acting, playwriting and directing. Glowers Drama Group, set up in 2003 for seniors with an interest in acting, has staged more than 40 performances.

Besides financial support, the NAC provides programme guidance and works closely with VWOs, matching them with arts practitioners. Together with the Social Service Institute, it organised the inaugural Arts in Eldercare Seminar earlier this month.

Ms Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of the Independent Age, an advocacy group for older people in the United Kingdom, and keynote speaker at the seminar, said seniors face challenges of isolation and loneliness and that arts intervention has proven benefits.

“I think it’s really important that arts is a part of eldercare because it is able to transport older people, or anybody, away from their daily worries and sometimes pain … it takes them out of isolation,” she said.

In a town in northern England, doctors have started giving elderly patients displaying signs of isolation or loneliness “arts and social prescriptions instead of medication”.

“While the medicine won’t help the actual case of them feeling lonely, doctors send them out to enjoy music, arts or a theatre festival … being around people and the community to feel better,” Ms Morrison said.

For arts to thrive in eldercare, Ms Morrison said constant and honest exchange of information between all stakeholders is vital. “It’s learning and growing as you listen to what everyone says has worked for them ... any small efforts are a good start and will be rewarding,” she said.