Add Art to Your Medicine Cabinet
Programs like ArtsRx offer caregivers the chance to participate in the arts and boost their overall wellness
Caregivers tend to put off going to shows, concerts and museums. We postpone taking drawing or other arts-related workshops. Our free time is limited and often we're exhausted, especially when the patient is a family member.
My mom, age 92, lost most of her hearing and exhibits signs of dementia. My husband has heart problems and recently fractured a bone in his foot. Any art-related activities were on hold until we went to see "Beautiful," the Carole King musical. It surprised me how energized I felt during and after the production.
"It's time that lets me escape for a little while."
I'm usually in bed right around the time the show was ending. That night it didn't matter. I felt invigorated. My husband did, too.
Art for Caregivers
Lenza Lettley understands what it means to take time to care for herself. Her life dramatically changed four years ago when her husband had a stroke. The couple, who reside in Orange, New Jersey, recently celebrated 34 years of marriage.
After her husband left the hospital, Lettley became his primary caregiver at home. She also accompanies him to speech therapy sessions, memory care and other medical appointments. Multiple caregiver activities fill her days. Their daughter, who lives nearby, often helps. Despite that, she reduced her workload as a hairstylist from full time to part time.
"He's getting better," she said. "I am too thanks to the recommendations from medical doctors who suggested I do something for me."
'It Brings Me Joy'
They told her to visit a museum, attend a show or a concert. Art classes — even glassblowing — were an option.
When asked by her doctors what she truly loved, she answered, "dance." Lettley said, "It brings me joy."
She takes dance classes at Newark Symphony Hall. "It's time that lets me escape for a little while," she said. "I recharge and feel good." Classes are once a week for a couple of hours.
The classes are free thanks to ArtsRx, a program overseen by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and Rutgers University-Newark; New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) runs the program. Participants (caregivers and patients) need a referral from their health care provider.
"ArtsRx was created in response to research demonstrating engagement in the arts increases positive health outcomes," said Alyson Maier Lokuta, senior director of Arts & Well-Being at NJPAC. "ArtsRx offers free arts programs to those coping with anxiety, depression, loneliness and caregiving stress."
In addition to programs and shows at NJPAC, other participating nonprofits include Newark Symphony Hall, GlassRoots, Newark Public Library, The Newark Museum of Art, Clement's Place Jazz, Newark School of the Arts, Luna Stage, and Newark Arts. Residents of Newark and its neighboring cities who are members of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and receive a referral from a medical professional qualify. Students at Rutgers University-Newark can participate at no cost.
"The program launched in July of 2023 with Horizon as our key partner," Maier Lokuta said. "In 2024, it expanded to Rutgers University-Newark. This fall, we'll expand the referral sources to include the City of Newark Department of Health and the Division of Cultural Affairs, and we are in conversation to expand to RWJBarnabas Health." She noted that all of NJPAC's Arts & Well-Being programs, including ArtsRx, are made possible by foundational support from RWJBarnabas Health, Horizon and a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts.
"Line dancing for a couple of hours a week makes me feel refreshed even the next day. I've lost weight and am less anxious."
According to Maier Lokuta, "It's the state's first arts prescription program and the first social prescribing program in the country to have an insurance carrier (Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey) as a key partner."
Art Boosts Mental and Physical Health
Numerous studies show art and cultural programs reduce stress, anxiety and depression and boost well-being. Lettley said, "Line dancing for a couple of hours a week makes me feel refreshed even the next day. I've lost weight and am less anxious."
The Journal of Pain and Symptom Management published 27 scientific studies between 2001 and 2022 that found participants in arts workshops and those who attended a performance reported improved social and mental well-being, reduced stress, increased confidence and improved coping skills.
Going forward, the World Health Organization (WHO) is looking at the role art may have in promoting overall good health, preventing illnesses, and treating acute and chronic conditions.
Participation Makes a Difference
Helene (who asked not to use her last name for privacy reasons) reports that her mom who participates in interactive art workshops through Arts for the Aging (AFTA) at the Kensington Clubs in Gaithersburg, Maryland, "doesn't have a lot of other adult interactions outside of her caregiver and me. AFTA workshops have her do things she wouldn't normally do, which stimulates not only her mind, but also her heart. She feels connected and productive."
Janine Tursini, director and CEO of AFTA, explains, "AFTA was founded on a premise, which scientific studies now prove, that regular participation in the arts by older adults helps to minimize the effect of physical and cognitive conditions in aging. We know from seminal studies when older adults participate in arts programs, they see improvements within a few weeks. Their depression lessens."
AFTA brings its arts programs to a diverse group of older adults with varied health issues. Sarah House, AFTA's program director, says its most popular programs involve music and that its opera program is a definite favorite.
"'La donna è mobile' from Verdi's much-loved opera "Rigoletto" brings tenors and a pianist to engaged older adults," she said. "The song's title translates to 'Woman is fickle.' The song is well known and that phrase gets people talking. It's good seeing so many people participate and voice their opinions."
AFTA, which has programs in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, gets many inquiries from outside the region. "These programs are important," Tursini said. "Science backs up what we do. One study found prolonged social isolation and loneliness, which many older adults experience, are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. That's why we need the arts. It benefits all who participate."