Art for Ages

The United Nations has predicted that, by 2050, the global population of people aged 60+ will increase from 605 million to 2 billion, with quadruple the number of people reaching 80 years of age compared with 2000. While this is in many ways a success story in terms of health outcomes, it carries with it substantial social and economic challenges, including stress, depression, loneliness, and social isolation and associated declines in health.

Consequently, new and innovative social programmes are needed to contribute to the resilience of older adults. Art for Ages explored the function of music in the lives of nursing home residents and the benefits of group music making on their health and wellbeing.

The project established the efficacy of music, compared with other physically and socially engaging activities, as a way of managing key medical, social, and psychological conditions prevalent among older adults.