Arts and crafts are a great way to offer seniors the chance to engage their creativity, cognitive abilities, and need for social interaction. By including creative activities in elderly care, seniors can enjoy a vibrant and healthy outlet for thoughts and feelings while engaging with their fellow retirees. In this guide, you’ll find out more about the benefits arts and crafts have for older loved ones and some suggestions to get them started.

Benefits of Arts & Crafts for Seniors

As a part of daily elderly care, visual arts and relaxing handicrafts have been proven to improve mental, emotional, and cognitive health. Recent medical research has demonstrated a close link between mental and emotional health and physical well-being. Strong relationships, daily activities, and emotional outlets have all been proven to boost lung health, regulate blood pressure, lower pain levels, and maintain strong motor skills.

Arts and crafts can be a shared activity among elderly care patients, which is important for reducing loneliness and depression. Not only will this allow seniors to enjoy a more active, fulfilled life with greater opportunities for friendship, but research has also shown that it significantly reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Popular Arts & Crafts for Seniors

Fabric arts such as sewing, embroidery, and knitting are excellent, mentally rewarding tasks that engage the brain and result in handmade items for wear or decoration. Knitting and crocheting are particularly good for seniors since they require larger needles, which can be easily handled by those who have difficulty manipulating small objects. What’s more, 81% of respondents in one study reported feeling significantly happier after spending time knitting.

More artistically inclined seniors can also find a lot of satisfaction in taking up painting or drawing. These can be as simple as paint-by-numbers kits or how-to drawing workbooks, or seniors can work with volunteers and teachers to learn new techniques such as watercolors, oil painting, or life drawing.

Research has revealed that the repetitive motions and quiet challenges of mastering painting techniques help to release serotonin and dopamine, chemicals in the brain that regulate happiness. By engaging in these crafts, seniors can express themselves, create gifts for loved ones, and reduce depression and isolation all at once.

For trustworthy and compassionate elderly care in the Flathead Valley, MT, area, turn to BeeHive Homes of Kalispell. This senior living facility offers healthy meals, private rooms, round-the-clock care, and many activities to satisfy seniors. To schedule a tour, call (406) 871-8667. Visit them online to see their full range of services.