Using Digital Arts Engagement to Combat Loneliness Amongst Older Adults Living in Long-Term Care

Abstract

<h3>Introduction</h3> Around 43% of Americans aged 60 and older, report experiencing loneliness on a regular basis. The prevalence of loneliness is even higher amongst those living in long term care facilities, with approximately 61% of residents experiencing loneliness regularly. Loneliness is associated with an increased risk for developing a variety of physical and mental illnesses. Prior research has found that older adults who engage with receptive arts, such as museum trips, more frequently are less likely to report feelings of loneliness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, typical in-person art activities with long-term care residents, such as field trips to museums or visits from community members, could not take place. Therefore, the student-run Harvard ARTZ (HARTZ) organization developed the Interactive Virtual Museum (IVM), which is a diverse collection of online art exhibits curated for older adults, as an innovative method to meaningfully connect residents with community members and to combat loneliness digitally, through art. The goal of the IVM is to reduce feelings of loneliness in older residents by engaging them with art and facilitating conversations about the exhibits in a way that does not put them at risk during the ongoing pandemic. <h3>Methods</h3> The IVM was created in collaboration with the Harvard Art Museums between September and December of 2020. HARTZ volunteers worked with the Harvard Art Museums staff members to curate an online exhibit of art pieces from their digital collection. Each exhibit was also paired with a prompt to encourage discussion about the artwork. From January 2021 to November 2021, the IVM was piloted in two long term care facilities in the Greater Boston Area. For the pilot, student volunteers from the HARTZ organization would schedule virtual trips to the IVM with the residents, which consisted of an hour-long phone or video call where volunteers and residents could go through the IVM together and discuss the different exhibits. Six student volunteers and 47 residents participated in the pilot. The residents included 35 females and 12 males, all between the ages of 62 and 91. In order to participate, residents needed a device with internet access, a device to call or video chat, and the ability to operate the devices independently or with assistance from someone else. For residents unable to access the IVM on their own, volunteers could instead use screen share to show the residents the IVM and navigate it on the resident's behalf. Residents and volunteers used the artwork and prompts in the exhibits as starting points for conversation. At the conclusion of the trip, all 47 residents were asked how they liked the virtual trip to the IVM and how they would compare this trip to a traditional in-person art museum trip. Feedback was voluntary and informal. Volunteers recorded and anonymized the responses. <h3>Results</h3> All 47 residents who participated in the IVM pilot provided feedback. Four main recurring themes were identified from these reflections. First, 39 residents said the trip to the IVM was an engaging social activity and that they enjoyed spending time with the volunteer. Second, 32 residents reported a more immersive art viewing experience, because the digital format allowed them to manipulate and ‘touch' the art on their screens, which is not possible in a traditional museum. Third, 27 residents experienced a greater sense of agency over their IVM experience than a traditional art museum trip. Specifically, residents mentioned that the IVM reduced viewing restrictions and enabled them to conveniently revisit and zoom into pieces at will. Finally, conversing about the pieces in the IVM encouraged the recall of personal memories. <h3>Conclusions</h3> The IVM is an effective way to harness the benefits of in-person art activities in a virtual format during this ongoing pandemic. The IVM is also a more accessible art space for residents who have physical and other health limitations that prevent them from travelling to museums. Additionally, the IVM could play a role in reminiscence therapy since the IVM encouraged the recall of personal memories. The virtual format also opens the possibility for forging meaningful connections between community members and residents in difficult to reach regions (e.g., rural areas) to help reduce potential feelings of loneliness. Future studies should expand the IVM to long term care residents and community-dwelling older adults who live in rural regions or are unable to leave their home due to medical reasons. Also, since the pilot trips found the IVM to be a feasible activity with positive feedback overall, future studies should directly study the impact of the IVM on loneliness by administering more structured surveys which assess loneliness and mood after participating in the IVM. With internet usage amongst older adults steadily increasing, the IVM is a promising avenue for utilizing the digital world to combat loneliness amongst older adults. <h3>Secondary Rationale</h3> Not applicable. <h3>This research was funded by</h3> Not applicable.