Events to enhance the wellbeing of older women

The Approach

Supported by partners Age UK and Rural Arts, groups of women participated in a number of different art activities over a three-week period, with the data gathering taking place weekly over a total of six months. The activities included ceramics, textiles, printing, papercraft and iPad art. Participants took part in group discussions about their lives as well as the art activities they had undertaken. These discussions were recorded and transcribed, and used to identify key elements of the activities as well as create participants’ life stories.

The research also incorporated the use of innovative wearable technology to measure the participants’ emotional responses to the creative sessions as well as their reactions in group discussions. In addition, participant observation was used and an Autographer camera was worn by the artist leading the sessions. This allowed unobtrusive photographs to be taken during each activity which were then used as points of discussion during the focus groups.

The Impact

As a result of the project, there have been several areas of impact:

• The lives of the 32 women taking part were improved through the restorative effects of recounting happy and sad times which had a marked positive effect on the self-worth and belongingness of both the teller and the listeners. The craft sessions created a catalyst for this to happen in a ‘safe’ and supportive environment
• The artist / art organisations have now implemented what has been learned in other programmes / interventions aimed at relieving social isolation and loneliness in rural living older people
• Such sessions have greater benefits and are more cost-effective than a visit from a carer.
  The wellbeing outcomes are likely to reduce the need for certain medications, increase social participation, stimulate brain activities not achieved elsewhere (i.e. through creativity)
• NHS end-of-life nurses now use a similar story-gathering technique with terminally ill patients