Art Therapy for Seniors: Learn About Quilting as Art Therapy

Senior Care in East Hampton NY

When your loved one engages in art therapy, he or she is addressing inner turmoil through creative expression. Art therapy encompasses many media, and your aging family member needs no special training in art theory to participate. The operative word in art therapy is “therapy.” Its purpose is to encourage participants to work through problems, to stretch limits, to address feelings, and to better manage behavior — all while creating something beautiful.

Art therapy helps seniors achieve many goals:

• It’s a valuable stress reliever.
• It’s a starting place for friendships to begin.
• It increases self-esteem and self-awareness.

Why Seniors Relate Well to Quilting
Many seniors relate well to quilting as a form of art therapy because it creates a useful and serviceable end product. Unlike a painting or a sculpture which only serve as decoration, textile crafts, such as quilted throws and pillows, are usable items that can keep you warm and comfortable. And among many older people, creating something that’s useful is an important requirement. Quilting is also an art form that many older Americans relate well to because they’ve done it before. Your grandmother may have hand-stitched her first quilt when she was just a wee girl, but even if she didn’t, quilting is an easy craft to learn and master.

How Quilting Helps
What goes into a quilt? Color, design, and intricately detailed stitching are only a few of the necessary ingredients that make up this whimsical piece of art. And while your loved one is focused on picking out the pattern he or she will use, selecting the fabrics, and cutting and piecing the squares — they’re not concentrating on what may feel like insurmountable problems. Quilting provides a way to turn focus outward, instead of inward, and sometimes, this can make a huge difference in a person’s life — in how they feel, and in how well they learn to cope with such things as declining health, failing eyesight, or hearing loss.

The End Product
The end product of using quilting as a form of art therapy is not just a beautiful quilt, placemat, or pillow, it’s a comfortable state of mind. It’s your loved one’s realization that they created a whole, beautiful object out of what was once only bits and pieces — sort of like life. It’s a healing process that begins with a simple notion and then blossoms into something much bigger. Others can benefit from the quilt by using it or viewing it, and this adds a connection to the outside world.

Art therapy enlarges small worlds and build bridges where once only broken pieces lay, and quilting makes a perfect place for the healing to begin.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional senior care in East Hampton, NY, call the caring staff at Artful Home Care today at 631-685-5001.