focuseditorial. Village Voices from Queenslake and Golden Ponds
MACA members Romayne Page, Valerie Pratt AO with Margret
Village Voices enjoy a concert at the Glasshouse with Margret Meagher and Robyn Ryan from Hastings Choristers.
“Art is like chocolate for the brain” were the opening words by keynote speaker, psychiatrist and geriatrician, Dr Gene Cohen at the Society for the Arts in Healthcare conference in Chicago in 2006. Conference delegate, Margret Meagher, the founding director of Arts and Health Australia, was immediately captivated by the potential for the arts to open up a creative age for older people. ased in Port Macquarie, AHA is the national advocacy and networking organisation which promotes the positive impact of the arts and creative expression on health and wellbeing for both individuals and communities. Over the past 25 years, arts and health has become established as an international field, comprising programs for all ages across primary and acute care, community health, health promotion and health education. There is also a growing body of research to underpin the efficacy of these programs. Dr Cohen coined the phrase ‘creative ageing’ to define arts and health programs specifically designed to support older people as they age. Gene Cohen led landmark research in the USA between 2005 and 2011, to determine the benefits for older people engaged in professionally delivered creative activities. The study found that those people who participated in art and craft making and singing in a choir remained more independent and socially active, were less reliant on medication, had reduced hospital stays, experienced fewer falls and maintained a more positive outlook. According to Dr Cohen, a sense of mastery and achievement are key to ageing well. As Margret explains: “We live in a very unusual and challenging time, with a rapidly ageing population and a baby boomer generation which expects a high quality of life as they age. In addition, Australia has one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world, and there is a growing incidence 26 greater port macquarie focus
of chronic conditions such as depression, dementia, cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes. “In a few years, for the first time, there will be more people in Australia over the age of 65 than young people under 15 years of age. The workforce is ageing, as are the many volunteers and carers who contribute significantly to community life socially and economically. “Arts and health programs for older people are now being recognised as effective and cost efficient ways to both encourage healthy lifestyles to prevent the onset of poor health and to support both people with chronic conditions and their carers.” Margret is a member of the NSW Ministerial Advisory Committee on Ageing (MACA) and has been recently involved in community consultations across the state to inform a new whole of government ageing strategy, due to be released mid 2012. Margret is chairing a sub-committee on creative ageing, which has been recognised as a priority area in the new strategy. “Our region is fortunate to have two locals on MACA,” said Margret. “Romayne Page, from Lake Cathie and Byabarra, manages Home and Community Care (HACC) programs in the Hastings and brings valuable insights into the issues of ageing in the regions. “It is an amazing and exciting time right now to be ‘in the business of ageing’.” There is so much scope for new career pathways. For example, artists are now being trained to work in hospitals, aged care and dementia programs. Increasingly, retirement villages, aged care facilities, local councils and
reative ageing arts of NSW to establish a department for arts, community services will offer creative health and creative ageing, with plans to programs to encourage healthy ageing and introduce courses from 2013. foster connected liveable communities. On 17 and 18 April, Arts and Health “Arts and Health Australia has established Australia is presenting two performances two community choirs at Stockland by acclaimed UK actress Miriam Margolyes Retirement Villages in Laurieton and Forster. at the Glasshouse, in a one woman show The Village Voices at Queenslake and Golden entitled Dickens’ Women. Ponds have become an important part of “We carefully select performances which their local community and often perform align with our mission to promote health for events such as the Healthy Living through artistic expression. To date, conference in Port last year. we have organised a piano recital Members of the choir attest with David Helfgott, a twilight to the physical and mental ce The workforth e e opera concert with Teddy Tahu benefits they derive from is ageing, as areers many voluntho Rhodes and David Hobson singing, such as improved and carers w and now Miriam’s stunning breathing, and they say e ut rib nt co significantly theatrical performance, as that singing together is a to communityd an she takes on 23 different real tonic and good fun.“ ly al ci life so economically. characters in Dickens’ books, “Who would have interweaved with a fascinating thought that at 75 I would account of Dickens’ life. Miriam is be singing in front of a crowd a great advocate of the importance of and hearing the applause,” said one reading, and we know that literacy is a core member of the Village Voices. element in health equality. Port Macquarie In 2011, Margret was named an inaugural Hastings Library will be using the show to Distinguished Fellow of the Society for the encourage people to visit the Library during Arts in Healthcare USA, one of 20 people this year, which celebrates Dickens’ 200th selected from a field of 300 and the only anniversary.” Australian. She also convened AHA’s 3rd international arts and health conference at In May, Margret heads for Detroit, Dublin the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. and Prague to give presentations on creative In March, Margret is a keynote speaker at ageing and then returns to commence a the U3A State Conference in Port Macquarie, research project on dementia and music which has as its theme ‘The Fountain of Age’. and prepare for AHA’s 4th arts and health conference in Fremantle WA. Margret will share the Glasshouse podium “I am privileged to be working in a field with actress Noelene Brown, Australia’s that I find inspiring and fulfilling and one that Ambassador for Ageing. can make a noticeable difference to people’s Arts and Health Australia is also partnering lives. Besides ... I love it!” with the College of Fine Arts at the University