Central Florida faces significant demographic and social changes. According to the Orlando Economic Partnership, the region’s aging population is expected to outpace national trends, with one in five residents projected to be aged 65 or older by 2030.
Meanwhile, in 2023, former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy highlighted loneliness as a significant public health concern, finding that social isolation increases the risk of early death by 29 percent and costs Medicare an extra $6.7 billion annually.
To address these community needs, United Arts of Central Florida has partnered with AdventHealth, Senior Resource Alliance and Share the Care to launch a Creative Aging pilot program in October of this year. Such initiatives use art programs specifically designed for older adults to enhance mood, promote wellness, foster friendships and bring joy.
The partnership’s eight-week pilot program will bring local professional teaching artists with specialized experiences to four memory care locations: Temple Israel (Winter Springs), St. Mary Magdalen (Altamonte Springs), College Park Center (Winter Park) and Grace Presbyterian (Orlando).
Seniors will participate in drumming, clay art, visual poetry and world dance during weekly one-hour classes. This residency-style approach will foster deep relationships between the teaching artists and participants. The use of trusted locations will remove barriers preventing older adults from accessing arts experiences.
Creative Aging programs also benefit teaching artists by providing increased earned income, professional development opportunities and personal fulfillment from positively impacting community health. Research indicates that artists working in healthcare settings develop enhanced empathy, resilience and purpose alongside their artistic practice.
To measure the pilot program’s health outcomes, AdventHealth volunteers will collect blood pressure and heart rate before and after each session. Additionally, measurements will document changes in personal well-being, including mood, behavior, loneliness and joy. The data will be added to the growing body of knowledge surrounding arts in health.
As Central Florida’s population rapidly ages, Creative Aging programs become essential community infrastructure, demonstrating how arts serve as catalysts for addressing complex challenges.
Community members, healthcare partners and local leaders can support the expansion of this work through investing sponsorship dollars, promoting arts advocacy and championing policies recognizing creative engagement as being vital to community health and wellness.
