Catherine addressed the health needs of 84 senior citizens by establishing an arts and crafts program for residents of a nursing and rehabilitation facility. Catherine led painting lessons to empower the residents to develop a sense of control and independence as they painted, to work fine motor skills for patients recovering from rehabilitation, to stimulate them cognitively, and to provide meaningful social interaction. Those who were physically able to paint learned proper painting techniques to increase independence and self-regard. This allowed residents to learn a new form of self-expression, communication, and to discover new aspects of their personalities and skills. Art lessons strongly promoted social cohesion amongst residents with their peers and were held twice weekly at two hours in duration each session.

As a result of Catherine’s efforts:

• 15 out of 20 residents who regularly attended art class decreased depressive symptoms
• 20 out of 20 participants increased their social interactions, including 17 out of 20 who increased time spent out of their room interacting with their peers.
• 8 out of 20 residents went from passive participation in group activities to more active participation. 12 of 20 residents saw a decrease in refusal to participate in activities after participating in art class.
• 15 out of 20 residents displayed artwork in the November art show, which raised over $300.00 to buy Christmas presents for residents of the facility.

East Glen has offered Catherine a part time position to continue lessons throughout summer of 2018. Afterwards, activity coordinators can use a guide she created with painting lessons and project ideas.

“When I reflect on my experience in the Schweitzer fellowship I feel a sense of purpose. I feel a oneness with my fellow man that I have never experienced before. I met wonderful people who have made a profound impact on my life. I am sharing and teaching the joy of painting with others. I am grateful to serve the residents at East Glen. Limited physical condition does not mean one’s life is over.  I learned the residents are human beings who do not cease living just because they are in a nursing facility. I have learned that despite grave health conditions people can be very resilient. They have a strong spirit. They have hopes, aspirations, and want to live as normal a life as possible. They still want to socialize, laugh, and have attention paid to them. I feel determined to pursue a career in geriatrics and dedicate myself to researching methods to improve quality of life for elderly individuals. I want to use my talents and skills learned from my ASF experience to integrate artistic expression and its effects on fine motor skills, cognition, and quality of life into my research. I feel a life well lived is one where we try something novel every day and never close ourselves off to learning new experiences.”