New Socially-Distanced Programs to Encourage Creative Aging in Quarantine

During 2020, our Year in Music, Arts for the Aging has been undergoing a transformation along with the region and the world. Our response to the need for programmatic and organizational change continues to evolve, as we uplift health and wellness in aging through regular participation in the multidisciplinary arts — despite physical and social distancing. We have been implementing various distanced programs to keep creative aging alive. Below we outline the programs we have tested out.

coOPERAtion

ROMEZ3arts debuted Arts for the Aging’s first pandemic-resilient program in an interactive opera workshop using Zoom. Singing actor Peter Joshua Burroughs and maestro Carlos Cesar Rodriguez on piano engaged caregivers and older adults with memory loss. They chose famous arias from opera librettos to which most can hum or sing along and masterfully sparked singing, call and response, role-playing, and tactile cognitive stimulation.

“[ROMEZ3arts was] always a favorite of my late husband, and though he passed 2 ½ weeks ago, it really was like being with him enjoying the performance (one of the activities he continued to enjoy the longest in his dementia journey).” –Elaine E.

Rhythms of Life

Teaching artists, percussionist Manny Arciniega and bassist Chris Brown, perform ‘Stay Cool,’ by trumpeter Victor Olaiya in a video to be premiered in Rockville-based JCA-Kensington Club’s online variety show. In the video the artists demo loops of bass, percussion, and body rhythms to encourage breathing, movement, and imagination.

heART Kits

Teaching artist Marci Wolf-Hubbardis assembling heART Kits for delivery with meals to isolated seniors affiliated with Vita Shady Grove Nursing and Rehabilitation in Maryland. The kits include art supplies to encourage creativity in seniors despite distancing.

by Janine

Washington Post Feature

Arts for the Aging’s work to bridge the gap with isolated seniors is featured in this Washington Post article. Despite the limits of social distancing, we’re working to find innovative ways to deliver arts engagement to older adults and their caregivers. Arts for the Aging will be incorporating virtual technologies and volunteers in these efforts. Stay tuned to learn how you can support us.

by Janine

Creative Aging During a Time of Pandemic

Microscopic view of Coronavirus, a pathogen that attacks the respiratory tract. Analysis and test, experimentation. Sars. 3d render

We have been following the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, working closely with our stakeholders to enact plans of action that will help protect Arts for the Aging's vulnerable clients and their caregivers. Given the importance and effectiveness of social distancing to slow community transmission, we have made the difficult decision to suspend our current programs through March 31, 2020. Our staff is adapting practices and ensuring secure access to resources needed for potentially extended remote work. We are looking to virtual networking technology so we can continue to inspire optimism in creative aging. We will continue to monitor the situation in the days and weeks to come, and we'll stay in touch.

While it is heartbreaking that Arts for the Aging programs will not be available to support and uplift the lives of older, frailer, and lonelier adults --- which also adds an additional burden to caregivers --- we share a priority to keep communities safe. We also believe it is important to provide a safety net to those at the heart, soul, and frontlines of this organization --- our gifted faculty of 26 teaching artists who are our practitioners.

Read more here including ideas for artful caregiving and self-care you can do at home.

In hard times, the arts bring us joy, comfort, and hope—like these "Lovely Ladies," made in teaching artist Carol Siegel's workshops with seniors at Arlington Adult Day Services Center, to help keep spirits up during this time of community care:

P.S. - The Centers for Disease Control has lay-friendly information for individuals and organizations, and with regularly updated FAQs available here. The information in this blog post is not all-inclusive nor is it offered as professional medical advice. Please seek advice from a professional healthcare service provider as and when necessary.

by Janine