In my experience, I have found that arts and crafts is always a hit or miss. The most popular and successful classes were held by professionals that could dedicate the time for working one on one with the resident and had expertise For example, the knitting group had a volunteer that could explain every stich and hook. Our watercolor class was hosted by an art teacher.
Physical limitations can hold people back. For some folks, using scissors and glue can be very difficult. Even holding a pen or paintbrush might be too hard. There are some assistive devices like foam grips or egg grips that can make a pencil or paintbrush easier to hold.
Interestingly, I find that Memory Care residents are usually more open to doing crafts. They tend to have less inhibitions and are therefore more ready to try something that might look harder. Individuals without cognitive impairment sometimes are too aware of their physical limitations and don't want to try something that might turn out less than perfect. I try to ease tensions by joking that I'm not artistic either, but that the process is fun and that's what really matters!
All the arts and crafts ideas I post on this site are ones that I have found to be successful, but there are tons more that I won't post about because my residents were not as happy with themselves or the results. That doesn't stop us from always trying new things though, because some have been lots of fun!
What arts and crafts have been successful at your community? What was difficult for your residents?
Comments