Art as therapy in aged care: what you need to know

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” - Pablo Picasso

Here we explore the role of artistic pursuits in residential aged care, particularly for those living with dementia, and look at some of the ways the aged care sector can embrace creativity to improve the lives of their residents.

What is Art Therapy?

Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses creative processes to support emotional and psychological wellbeing. Unlike a regular art class or hobby activity, art therapy is facilitated by a trained professional who combines the creative arts with principles of clinical psychology.

According to the Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association, arts therapists use a range of methods—like painting, drawing, movement, and storytelling—to help individuals express themselves, explore emotions, improve self-awareness, and manage anxiety.

While formal art therapy isn’t offered in residential aged care centres, including those run by IRT, creative activities can still be deeply therapeutic. Engaging in arts and crafts, music, dance, writing, gardening or cooking can bring joy, connection, and a sense of purpose, supporting both physical and mental wellbeing.

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Creative arts and dementia

According to the UK’s Mental Health Foundation, a review of 31 global studies found participatory art can help improve cognitive functioning, communication, self-esteem, musical skills, pleasure, enjoyment of life, memory and creative thinking in older people with dementia. Dr Louisa Smith, a research fellow at the University of Wollongong’s Australian Health Services Research Institute, has a particular interest in the value of creative pursuits for people living with dementia in residential aged care.

Eight ideas for art therapy

1. Think about arts more broadly

Creativity can involve much more than painting and drawing and other conventional forms of art. Dr Smith views artistic activities as multi-modal forms of engagement that foster connection.

Across the globe there’s a growing creative ageing movement that embraces a whole range of artistic activities, including making something.

“It has involved reinvigorating men’s sheds, sewing circles, knitting circles – activities that people have done their whole lives and are still included in art-making,” Dr Smith explains.

“So many people have a rich creative history. We really need to support older people to enliven that history in the present.”

2. Tailor programs to individuals

Dr Smith says arts activities in residential aged care are usually designed by the aged care centre and offered to the residents as group-based activities.

“It might be water colours, collage or scrapbooking. Some people in that centre might be interested in those activities, but they don’t suit everyone.

“The reality is these activities work best when they’re based on the interests and passions of residents themselves and when they have a say in how they evolve.”

This approach aligns with the new Australian Aged Care Quality Standards, which highlight the importance of residents being able to make their own choices and for them be engaged in meaningful activities that are satisfying to them.

3. Offer a wide variety of activities

She acknowledges it can be challenging to design appropriate activities for people with dementia.

“You need to think about the activities that make them feel really comfortable within themselves and connected, and work out what supports they need to do those things.

“For someone it might be mowing the lawn; for someone else it might be knitting. For someone with dementia, if it is not in front of them and placed in their hands they’re probably not going to do it, but it doesn’t mean they don’t want to.”

She recommends creating a whole range of offerings, which she calls provocations.

4. Create the right environment

“In a Montessori-based approach, a lot of things are placed around the person’s space which allows them to interact when they think it is appropriate, rather than at a set time.”

In this way the environment itself becomes a creative space because it holds a series of options. This challenges existing thinking because the space around people living with dementia is often cleared to protect them.

“We need to have some reverence for the capacity of the people with dementia to engage with rich environments.

 “An environmentally impoverished space that doesn’t hold a lot of stimulus is more likely to lead to negative behaviours.”