Transforming Senior Health with the Power of Art

Health care access

San Gabriel Valley

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Offering arts and crafts in residential senior care is vital for promoting seniors’ overall well-being. These activities provide cognitive stimulation, helping maintain memory, attention, and problem-solving skills, which may delay cognitive decline. They also support emotional health by offering a creative outlet for self-expression, reducing anxiety and depression, and boosting self-esteem. Group art sessions foster social interaction, helping combat loneliness and build community. Physically, crafting supports fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, encouraging gentle movement. Additionally, arts and crafts allow seniors to reflect on their identity and life stories, creating a sense of purpose and legacy. Most importantly, engaging in creative activities brings joy and enhances quality of life, making it an essential part of holistic senior care.

Your support will expand our budding Arts & Crafts Program to enrich the lives of senior residents through diverse, hands-on creative experiences. Building on an emerging program, we will add new opportunities tailored to the interests and abilities of our community and offer 40 of our most frail residents new access to activities.
The Crochet Club, meeting twice monthly, will receive yarn supplies and a skilled instructor to teach new techniques and knitting. Our popular Painting Class, led by Vlad Waltman, will be extended to two-hour weekly sessions and supported with new supplies such as easels, canvases, paints, and will offer occasional guest speakers. A new Sewing Club will purchase two sewing machines and materials for residents interested in textile arts.
Our Beading Class, attended weekly by 14 women, will be enhanced with larger beads for better visibility. Ceramics classes will expand with additional paints and supplies to serve larger groups and meet more frequently. We will also launch a Flower Arranging Program—based on a resident’s former profession as a florist—partnering with a vendor to provide fresh flowers and supplies to beautify dining and common areas with the finished products.
A resident-led Art Appreciation Class will expand with occasional support from guest experts. Lastly, a new Gardening Club will purchase five standing garden boxes and plant materials, promoting outdoor engagement through herb, flower, and vegetable gardening.

Seniors living in residential healthcare facilities remain integral to the vitality of a city because they carry with them a lifetime of experience, wisdom, culture, and community memory. Their contributions—past and present—shape the identity and continuity of the City. Many have served as teachers, artists, parents, and civic leaders, helping to build the very foundation on which communities thrive. Even in later years, seniors enrich urban life through storytelling, mentorship, volunteerism, and participation in arts, cultural, and intergenerational programs.
Including seniors in the civic and cultural fabric of the city fosters compassion, inclusivity, and a more connected society. When cities engage residents in healthcare facilities through creative projects, they affirm the value of every citizen, regardless of age or ability. Cities become stronger, more resilient, and more humane. Seniors are not just recipients of care; they are vital voices in the city’s ongoing story.