Home » Article Archive » Grandma Moses’ Descendants
Grandma Moses’ Descendants
Elders Share the Arts has been one of the nation’s leaders in mining the relationship between creativity and healthy aging. Most recently, the organization has served as one of four sites nationwide in a three-year research study, “Creativity and Aging,’’’ conducted by Dr. Gene D. Cohen, the director of the Center on Aging, Health & Humanities at George Washington University and a pioneer in the field. In early findings, Dr. Cohen has seen improvements in overall health and morale in older adults who participate in cultural programs conducted by accomplished professionals as opposed to amateurish (and even patronizing) arts and crafts activities like making potholders or holiday ornaments. Among the benefits observed were decreases in the frequency of doctor visits, less need for medications and fewer falls.