Creative Endeavors Support Senior’s Health 

Residents of The Center at Lenox Hill perform “Into the Woods”
Credit: lenoxhill.org

For several decades, scientists have studied the positive effects of creative endeavors on brain health, and a wealth of evidence now exists that links creativity and new learning with improved cognitive function and overall wellness. According to a first-of-its-kind national study in 2005, for example, creative endeavors improve a person’s sense of mastery and control, especially later in life. This leads to a greater sense of empowerment and willingness to try new things. Mastering new skills (or brushing up on old ones) also enhances brain plasticity by creating new connections between nerve cells. Being physically active enhances this effect.

So it’s not surprising that nursing homes and community centers all across the country are implementing programs that give seniors the opportunity to flex their creative muscles in various ways. From making art to writing memoirs, seniors are actively participating in all sorts of creative endeavors that engage them intellectually, physically and emotionally.

Broadway-Style Productions for Seniors

Enter Freddie Gershon, an entertainment attorney and entrepreneur who 20 years ago introduced Broadway-style “Junior Productions” to elementary and middle school students across the United States (an effort which won him a Tony Award). Now the co-owner of Music Theater International, the 80-year-old Gershon recently took his “small production” idea to the Juniper Village nursing home in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, where residents put on a production of “Guys and Dolls.” The results were so inspiring he decided to develop the concept further. His latest pilot, a senior version of Meryl Streep’s 2014 film “Into the Woods” took place at the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House on Manhattan’s Upper East Side last month.

Seniors sing and dance in “Into the Woods”
Credit: lenoxhill.org

The benefits of participating in the production were obvious to the people who did so,according to the New York Times. One woman, Suzanne Brinnitzer, said of playing Little Red Riding Hood, “To be a senior person and to be able to play somebody young like that — I think it made me act and feel young.” Another participant, Rebecca Marks, added, “I took care of a lot of people for a lot of years … I’m making up for lost time.” And Linda Creamer, who played her part in a wheelchair, declared excitedly “I’m recovering because of this show.

Creamer was bedridden with pneumonia before deciding to take part in the production, her husband told The Times.