Resources
Six Months of Piano Training in Healthy Elderly Stabilizes White Matter Microstructure in the Fornix, Compared to an Active Control Group
via Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience | Research and Studies
From the abstract: “While aging is characterized by neurodegeneration, musical training is associated with experience-driven brain plasticity and protection against age-related cognitive decline. However, evidence for the positive effects of musical training mostly comes from …
Intergenerational Techno-Creative Activities in a Library Fablab
Research and Studies
The authors of this paper report on the design, implementation, and assessment of intergenerational techno-creative activities within a library EspaceLab makerspace using tools for the project #smartcitymaker. They discuss the makerspace movement and its value …
Developing the Art–Technology Intergenerational Community Program for Older Adults’ Health and Social Connectedness
Research and Studies
This report on ACIT (an intergenerational art-technology program) discusses the development, implementation, and evaluation of a university-based initiative designed to use art to promote individual older adults’ health, well-being, and social connectedness. College students worked …
Beneficial effects of choir singing on cognition and well-being of older adults
via PLOS One Collection Social Psychiatry | Research and Studies
The authors of this report note that “choir singing has been associated with better mood and quality of life (QOL) in healthy older adults, but little is known about its potential cognitive benefits in aging. …
Harnessing the Power of Age Diversity: Getting the Best Out of the Five-Generation Workforce
Articles and Blog Posts
From HBR.org: “Generational identity should be a source of learning, not division.” “Are tensions between different generations escalating? In organizations, lack of trust between older and younger workers often yields a culture of competition and …
You’re Overlooking a Source of Diversity: Age
Audio and Podcasts
From HBR.org: “A conversation with Miami University professor Megan Gerhardt on benefiting from generational differences. Megan Gerhardt, management professor at Miami University, studies the impact of generational conflict on organizations. She says too many leaders …
A Community Choir Intervention to Promote Well-Being Among Diverse Older Adults: Results From the Community of Voices Trial
via The Oxford Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences | Research and Studies
This article reports on a randomized control study of the effects of a Community of Voices choir intervention on the “health, well-being and health care costs of racial/ethnically diverse” adults 60 years and older. Sixty-five …
The Value of Active Arts Engagement on Health and Well-Being of Older Adults: A Nation-Wide Participatory Study
via International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health | Research and Studies
This article reports on a nationwide participatory study carried out in the Netherlands that used both qualitative and quantitative methods to document the perceived value of arts engagement by those taking part in 18 arts-based …
Participation in Life-Review Playback Theater Enhances Mental Health of Community-dwelling Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
via Psychology of Aesthetics Creativity and the Arts | Research and Studies
This article reports on a randomized control trial designed to assess the mental health effects of community-dwelling older adults’ participation in a 12-week playback theatre program. Playback theatre is a form of improvisational theatre that, …
Active and Receptive Arts Participation and Their Association with Mortality Among Adults in the U.S.
via PubMed | Research and Studies
Epidemiological studies on the arts are not common in the United States, especially studies on active engagement by older adults. This national study addressed associations between arts participation and mortality, including both passive and active …