Creativity in older adults: a plethora of possibilities.
Aging continues to be an important topic of study. For many older adults, the elder years can be a challenging, if not difficult, time. Creativity interventions have been shown to positively affect mental and physiological health indicators. The process of creating and one's attitude toward life may be more important than the actual product or tangible outcome. While many activities are those typically thought of as creative, such as painting, there are also a number of useful interventions that are not traditionally identified as creative ones, but that are, in fact, creative activities. This paper describes recent work with creativity in older adults, including research and clinical projects, and earlier works that could be refined as creative interventions. Recommendations for further investigation of creativity also are presented.
Flood
Meredith
M
University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Department of Family and Community Health Nursing, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223-0001, USA. mflood@uncc.edu
Phillips
Kenneth D
KD
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001155:Art Therapy; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003071:Cognition; D003405:Creativity; D004644:Emotions; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory; D008603:Mental Health; D015399:Nursing Research; D011037:Poetry as Topic; D011340:Problem Solving; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012107:Research Design; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D014956:Writing