Visual art dialogues in long-term care facilities : an action research study

Abstract

This article reports on the outcomes of a programme of ‘visual art dialogues’ held over a seven-week period with ten older residents in a long-term care facility in Malta. The mean age of participants was 81 years. The action research project investigated the learning impacts of a number of well-known visual art images, particularly in terms of personal gains, identity capital and social/peer interactions. The project explored the reactions of older adults with limited cultural capital to visual art images and captured their feelings of what they learned. The article concludes that the programme resulted in substantial visual art enrichment and informal art appreciation and improved levels of self-expression, social interaction and emotional wellbeing.