As people age, interventions that promote emotional well-being and cognitive function
become essential, especially for people with potential cognitive decline in residential
healthcare facilities. Art-based interventions, particularly Visual Thinking Strategies
(VTS), have solid evidence for promoting observation and listening skills, and
activating specific neural areas for problem-solving and critical thinking. Furthermore,
several studies have also shown that those involved in these activities reduce anxiety
and stress in both educational and nursing settings. We therefore aimed to apply these
activities to elderly people living in a nursing home to verify improvements in well-
being, anxiety, and cognitive decline. This study piloted a 4-session program that used
a facilitated, guided discussion of the VTS method, presenting images of artworks to
assess the impact on measures of emotional well-being and self-esteem, and to obtain
feedback from participants on their experience using the VTS Skill Grid and the
PANAS questionnaire. The results indicated that VTS activities were well accepted by
participants, and the impact recorded in terms of both cognitive experience and anxiety
reduction was very positive. These findings suggest the possibility of using this method
and other artistic practices to promote cognitive, relational, and emotional skills in
people at risk of cognitive decline, loneliness, and depression.

Notes: 

1 VTSItalia Associaton, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
2 Villa Santa Maria Foundation, Tavernerio, Italy
3 Giomi Care Rsa Flaminia, Morlupo, Italy