“When I look around my room at my work, and I feel a sense of accomplishment. I feel really positive about that,” Cooper noted. “People who don’t have interests tend to be more depressed.”


an art show and residents – amateurs and professionals alike – display their art, and their pride is palpable. “Every piece has a story, and it makes people feel good to show off their work,” he said. “We need to give people an opportunity


to express themselves and enjoy activities that make them feel good,” said Pruchnicki. In addition to artists, the building is home to several musicians; and even those with mild dementia are still able to make music. “They will sit down at the piano and just


start playing,” he noted. One individual is a trumpet player who loves to tell stories about how he got started as a musician 70 years ago and how he played in Atlantic City and got to know Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. “He would play his trumpet, and it seemed to cheer him up when he was depressed,” he said, adding, “We encourage people to keep doing what they did and to try new things.” The residents enjoy art and music so


much, Pruchnicki said, that he sometimes has a hard time getting people to come to his office for medical care when they are engaged in activities. “I don’t pressure them. I let them enjoy their activities. I can see how happy they make everyone. It’s invigo- rating,” he observed.


Creative Freedom Promotes Quality Life Michal Tucker is 76 and has been at Vista on 5th for five years. He is on dialysis three days a week and paints on the other days. His colorful abstract paintings hang all over the building, which he says is “really cool.” Others in the building know he is an artist, and he takes pride in this legacy. Residence in assisted living has opened some doors for him. Tucker said, “It’s nice


to have the freedom not to worry about household issues and paying bills. I can just paint.” His style has evolved and changed over the years. But like many artists, his art is influenced by his feelings and circum- stances. He said, “Sometimes the colors are more muted to depict my mood; and when I’m not feeling well, I don’t paint as much.” He added, “A few years ago, I was really hampered by money, and that really changes your art.” Tucker can sometimes forget his age when


he is painting, and he enjoys interacting with artists of all ages. They energize him, and he inspires them. “I have a friend with a five-year-old daughter who does beautiful abstract work, and she was inspired by my art. It’s a nice legacy,” he said. There is a freedom in his art he doesn’t


have elsewhere in his life. Tucker noted that he can’t always go where he wants or do what he wants to do, as his health issues and living situation pose limits. “Painting is one place where I have complete freedom to do and be what I want,” he said. This is very liberating for him and feels fortunate that he is able to paint and enjoy these hours of freedom and personal expression. Asked what his life would be like if he couldn’t paint, he said, “I can’t say. That would be impossible to imagine.”


From Student to Teacher As a young New Yorker, Cooper took art classes and got interested in pastels. “Through the years, I have continued to draw and have had a couple of shows.” She came to assisted living about six years ago. She took an art class and started to draw, and she couldn’t stop. “Now I’m teaching a class here for residents. Most don’t have


an art background, but they enjoy it. I do too, and I’m meeting new people,” she said. Cooper said that drawing has been very


therapeutic and rewarding. “When I look around my room at my work, and I feel a sense of accomplishment. I feel really pos- itive about that,” she noted. She stressed how important it is to have interests and hobbies at any age. “People who don’t have interests tend to be more depressed,” she said, as they lack a sense of purpose and something to look forward to every day. One challenge for artists in assisted living,


Cooper noted, is getting out to galleries and museums, which is an inspiring and enjoy- able experience for them. “It’s hard for me to get out to shows, but I sometimes can get to ones that are nearby,” she said. To address this challenge, facilities may want to organize museum or gallery trips, encour- age access to virtual tours and shows, and bring in art historians and others present lectures and show works of art. “I can’t quantify how much it contributes


to people being more engaged and less de- pressed; but it is clearly helpful. Anything we can do to give our residents enjoyment is worth doing,” Pruchnicki said. These ac- tivities can serve as an important distraction from problems like loneliness, loss, and even pain and physical problems. Tucker and Cooper urge assisted living


providers everywhere to encourage and en- able their residents to be creative. “It keeps your mind working all the time, and that is important. I hear that from a lot of people my age and older,” said Tucker. Cooper added, “People who are creative always have something to do and enjoy. Drawing has enabled me to deal with life.”


JULY/AUGUST 2023 ARGENTUM.ORG 51


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