
Nurse educators at Western Regional School of Nursing are partnering in a community-based arts program for older adults.
Dubbed "SmART Aging," the program aims to help
maintain and improve cognitive fitness for older adults with mild to moderate frailty or mild to moderate cognitive
decline.
Those who attended the program launch on Wednesday learned that participants in the program will be provided the opportunity to stay socially connected through in-person or virtual participation in arts-based activities to lessen the risk of developing dementia, maintain cognitive health, promote engagement and fulfillment, and improve overall quality of life. Participants and artists will be recruited to participate in this project.
The SmArt aging research project is a collaborative effort of Gros Morne Summer Music, Western Health and the Western Regional School of Nursing and is supported by a SPARK grant. SPARK grants are made available by the Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation (CABHI). SPARK grants support the development and validation of new innovations aimed to improve the quality of life for seniors, people living with dementia, and their care givers.