Opening Minds Through Art

In 2021, LeadingAge Virginia partnered with Art for the Journey to implement the Opening Minds Through Art CMP program. During the three-year project, the best practice program was replicated statewide in 81 participating Virginia-based nursing homes. Goals and Objectives: To enhance the quality of life and quality of care among nursing home residents by providing training, certification, and support for nursing homes in Virginia to adopt Opening Minds Through Art.

OMA is an intergenerational, person-centered, evidence-based art program that engages nursing home residents with volunteers using abstract art. OMA is an abstract art-making program designed to be failure-free for adults at every stage of aging, but especially those living with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. The best-practice program empowers people to make independent, creative choices within a supportive relationship. OMA is bringing together artists and non-artists, those with and without dementia, into a community of equals where “anything is possible,” as one resident said. The one-on-one partnerships create positive spaces for a younger generation to engage with the older, forming transformational bonds.

Goals and Objectives: To enhance the quality of life and quality of care among nursing home residents by providing training, certification and support for nursing homes in Virginia to adopt Opening Minds Through Art.

Project Outcomes: From 2021 to 2024, LeadingAge Virginia and Art for the Journey engaged 81 Virginia-based CMS certified nursing homes to become OMA-certified sites. Training was provided to 173 OMA facilitators who work with nursing home staff to implement the program, holding sessions with residents who create art during weekly OMA sessions. Over 1,800 resident artists were engaged, demonstrating a 37% increase in mood following an OMA session. Staff feedback demonstrated that the program was well received and improved knowledge and comfort level among staff and volunteers who engage with older adults residing in nursing homes (17% increase in knowledge about Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias; 17% improvement in reported confidence in being around people with ADRD).