Sewing is a struggle for me. I am not detail oriented, and I am impatient with techniques that require precision. I found it difficult to stay focused on my sewing for this assignment. I did not have enough fabric or thread to create something, just enough to practice the movements--threading the needle, puncturing the fabric and pulling the thread through only to repeat the process again. I have always liked the movements, even if I find the effort frustrating. I feel connected to a tradition when I move my hands and arms in that familiar pattern. I feel especially connected to my grandmother, who I have always tried to emulate, and her beautiful quilts. Because my mind was on my grandmother, I thought about using this process with older adults. This fall I began working with older adults at my internship. This population is already at risk for increased isolation and depression, but the pandemic has exacerbated the conditions that lead to these feelings. My intervention keeps these feelings in mind, and reflects a longing for community that I am also experiencing.
Aging clients present with a variety of emotional and mental health needs including but not limited to: making meaning, connecting to a life story, and adapting to rapid changes in quality of life. Most are experiencing some form of physical or cognitive decline that limits both mobility and independence, leading to feelings of isolation and bouts of depression. Older adults experience many forms of loss, including loss of loved ones and loss of a familiar home. Many older adults must make the transition to long term care and assisted living, a decision most likely made by other family members, including children who are now stepping into a caretaking role for their aging parents. These transitions are difficult to adjust to, leaving older adults feeling as if they are no longer in control of their own lives. An art therapy intervention like sewing may be well suited to address these specific concerns through emotional meaning making, present engagement, social support, autonomy and adaptations to declining physical and neuro-cognitive capabilities.
For this population I would like to use the intervention of sewing through the creation of quilts. Quilts are symbols of comfort, warmth, nurturance and also represent a traditional artistic practice (The Artist Circle, 2017). Quilt making is also often a communal process, involving multiple people contributing to one final piece that is both decorative and utilitarian. Older adults who are familiar with the process can reflect back on specific individual memories of quilt making with family members or friends as they connect to the present moment and the people around them. Isolation is a common occurrence for older adults, leading to an increase in symptoms of depression. A quilt project brings people together through the common goal of making. Quilts also serve as records of history, stories, and events (The Artist Circle, 2017). Quilts tell stories visually, and the making of quilts provides the opportunity to share and speak to others, as participants are often working together for long periods of time. Leaving behind a legacy, sharing knowledge and experience, and making meaning of a long life are important needs for the mental health and well being of older adults. The process of making a quilt also provides the opportunity to adjust and adapt for declining physical and neuro-cognitive abilities, which is more inclusive and community based. Larger, or specialized needles can be used, as well as thicker yarns and string rather than thread. The size of the quilt can be adjusted and patterns can be simplified. Also, quilting provides a plethora of different jobs for people with different abilities. An older adult with dementia can contribute through simple, yet stimulating tasks such as sorting fabrics or threading needles.
References
The Artist Circle. (2017, February). About. Threads of Resistance. http://threadsofresistance.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html
