Organised by the National Arts Council (NAC) in partnership with the Social Service Institute (SSI), the inaugural Arts in Eldercare Seminar is a platform for eldercare and healthcare professionals, and industry stakeholders to discuss the use of the arts as an innovative and holistic tool, to enhance the well-being of the elderly in various care settings.
The seminar is part of ArtReach, an NAC initiative that seeks to build up the capabilities in the social sector. Developed as a result of the Arts and Culture Strategic Review (ACSR) in 2012, ArtReach seeks to extend the accessibility of the arts for communities in wellness, intervention and rehabilitation.
“The Arts in Eldercare Seminar aims to engage community partners to appreciate the value of the arts for meaningful and active ageing in the eldercare sector,” said Chua Ai Liang, Director of Arts and Community, NAC. “Through ArtReach we hope to build a community through sharing of best practices and knowledge.”
During the seminar, community partners will have the opportunity to learn from one another. Representatives from VWOs such as the Tsao Foundation and Alzheimer’s Disease Association (ADA) will share examples of successful projects that they have organised, which include a range of art activities such as percussion, ceramics, watercolours, photography and museum tours.
Theresa Lee, Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Association, said: “The seminar is an excellent platform for eldercare professionals to leverage on the arts to engage the elderly and keep them active. It is good for us to learn from other organisations that share their own experiences. We hope to explore collaborations with other community partners and artists to further implement the arts in a person-centred way in our dementia eldercare programmes.”
Keynote speaker from the United Kingdom, Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Independent Age, will share some best practices on how VWOs in Singapore can better leverage the arts to improve the overall cognition, emotional and physical well-being of the elderly. She will also highlight the role that the arts can play in eldercare settings such as hospitals, care homes and the community.
To allow longer-term sustainability, NAC has developed art-based toolkits to guide VWOs and their volunteers on how to conduct basic arts activities independantly, with workshops to train and equip them with the know-how to run simple projects for their beneficiaries.
For more information on the presenting organisations, their arts programmes and NAC’s art toolkits, please refer to the Appendix.