Creative Aging Program

Crafting Life Stories from Youth to Elderhood.

Interactive

Practical Experience

Overview

Time

From Sep 2023 to Feb 2024, total of 14 related workshops

Role

Facilitator; Educator

Participants

10 elders participated in the 12-session program

Goal

  1. Promote greater social engagement among seniors

  2. Alleviate depression-related factors in the elderly

  3. Inspire the crafting of individual life storybooks

Final outcome

80 %

Growth in psychological safety

98 %

Satisfaction

The regular workshops not only boosted the elders' well-being and social ties but also led to an 80% increase in psychological safety. Through consistent follow-ups, I noticed a heartwarming change: some elders began to look out for each other, offering warmth and comfort to those who is in need.

Main challenge

Unpredictable Participation

The physical and mental conditions of elderly participants can vary widely, affecting their ability to engage in activities. Factors such as health issues, mobility limitations, and varying emotional states at the time of the activity.

Topic Sensitivity

Choosing appropriate topics for discussion or activity can be challenging since not all elderly individuals share the same life experiences. For example, not all may have distinct memories of their education or romantic relationships.

Activity

Build Trust

Encourage Sharing

1:1 Companionship

Besides screening suitable elders, engaging in conversations with them and their families to understand their perspectives and build trust upfront, I also embrace the value above. Whereas, the workshop encompasses the following activities:


  1. Warm up: Engaging activities to enhance elders' concentration and focus on their senses and gestures.

  2. Theme Poetry: Exploring diverse themes weekly, we present two thought-provoking questions to deepen the focus on the topic and seamlessly connect with the subsequent sections.

  3. Deeper Dialogues: Building on previous responses, fostering in-depth conversations for a better understanding of elders' experiences.

  4. Expressive Design: Using diverse materials to visually transform the elders' words into expressive artworks.

  5. Sharing and Retro: Concluding with a reflective session, providing elders the opportunity to share and discuss their sentiments cultivated throughout the workshops.

Progress

Delve into one of our session - Relationship!

Build Trust

Inspiring elderly participants through their hands, feet, and body movements to enhance their responsiveness. In line with the Christmas theme, we create a warm winter atmosphere by coordinating clothing colors and assisting partners in donning Christmas hats during the 'Clap Blessings' activity, fostering a sense of togetherness.

Encourage Sharing

During the progress, I invited the elders to share the intricate details of their young romances—the who, when, where, how, and what. While also concluded by fostering an environment for heartfelt sharing, allowing participants to recount their journeys from capturing the precious moments of their first love to the intricacies of the design process.

1:1 Companionship

In the expressive design, elders fold and cut three cotton paper sheets to create window flowers, dyeing and drying them before collaging the pieces to symbolize unique love stories—nets, butterflies, or suns. As the facilitator, I observed their challenges in dyeing the cotton paper initially affected some elders' confidence in which I asked tutors for additional assistance, yet the impressive outcome left everyone amazed.

Learning and takeaways

What did well?

  1. The workshop embraces all emotions and thoughts, fostering a safe environment through hugs and encouragement.

  2. Throughout the sessions, my partner and I employed various artwork sharing techniques and materials to sustain the interest of elders, thereby boosting their confidence.

What can be done better?

Enhance time management precision, especially during the design session, as more time is needed for opening and drying the dyed cotton paper.

While some elders may lack confidence to speak up, it's crucial to seize opportunities to enhance transitions and conclusions during activities, fostering ongoing group engagement when sharing ideas.

Next Steps

Encourage participants to share their experiences with their neighbors or surroundings to actively engage in the workshops and contribute to the creation of a safe community.

Provide ongoing support and resources to facilitate ongoing gatherings.

Next Workshop →

Feel free to reach out, I’d love to chat with you ☺️

© Jessica Ho 2024 Copyright. All Rights Reserved.