Towards a Greater Contextualization of Music and the Arts in Aging and Cognitive Disorders

Abstract There is an increasing prominence of arts and cultural interventions related to aging and cognitive disorders in the scholarly literature and at gerontological conferences. However, the mechanisms of the salience and relevance of aesthetics, culture and leisure in the lives of older people remains unclear. One aspect which has emerged is that of aesthetic deprivation and its consequences for well-being. This symposium aims to provide perspectives from a range of researchers involved in programs of research and implementation to try to contextualize and better understand the perspectives of older people, arts practitioners and therapists the place and context of arts, culture and leisure in optimal aging.


QUALITY OF DIET AMONG COMMUNITY-DWELLING ELDERS PARTICIPATING IN THE MOBILITY AND VITALITY LIFESTYLE PROGRAM Jessica Cheng, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Dietary choices play an important role in disease prevention both through its effect on weight and independent of it. Improving diet can be an effective means of disease prevention among older adults. Participants (n=303) were recruited from the Allegheny County, PA area and received nutritional education in group sessions led by trained community health workers over one year. Diet quality was captured at baseline and final endpoint (either 9 or 13 months) using the Rate Your Plate (RYP) instrument for assessing healthfulness of diet and includes 24 items that can be summed to generate a total quality score. The mean RYP diet quality score improved from baseline (RYP=50.87) to endpoint (RYP=54.85) (p<.001). Over the course of the intervention, 30.9% of participants made enough improvement in diet to move to a better RYP category. A community-based group intervention for older adults was effective in inducing improvements in diet quality.

IMPLEMENTATION OF MOVE UP AND EFFECT ON OUTCOMES
Kieffer Lori, Linda Semler, Jennifer King, Brandi Boak, Elizabeth Venditti, Anne Newman, and Steven Albert,

University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
The MOVE UP behavioral activation program, consisting of 32 sessions over 12 months, was delivered by trained community health workers (CHWs) at 26 sites. 300 participants completed a mean of 21.5 sessions. Change in body weight was associated with site attendance: among 9 sites with mean attendance < 70%, participants lost a mean of 5.3%; among 12 sites with 70-80% attendance, 5.6%; and among 5 sites with > 80% attendance, 9.2%. Completion of activity and diet logs followed a similar pattern (34.9%, 56.2%, and 72.7%, respectively), as did retention for 13-month outcome assessment (70%, 85%, and 88%, respectively). CHWs at the high-performing sites were more likely to have prior or current employment in weight management and fitness (90% vs. 41.7% and 44.4%), but did not differ in education, age, race, or employment by sites. CHW experience, not sociodemographics, affected outcomes.

TOWARDS A GREATER CONTEXTUALIZATION OF MUSIC AND THE ARTS IN AGING AND COGNITIVE DISORDERS Chair: Desmond O'Neill
There is an increasing prominence of arts and cultural interventions related to aging and cognitive disorders in the scholarly literature and at gerontological conferences. However, the mechanisms of the salience and relevance of aesthetics, culture and leisure in the lives of older people remains unclear. One aspect which has emerged is that of aesthetic deprivation and its consequences for well-being. This symposium aims to provide perspectives from a range of researchers involved in programs of research and implementation to try to contextualize and better understand the perspectives of older people, arts practitioners and therapists the place and context of arts, culture and leisure in optimal aging.

TOWARD A GREATER CONTEXTUALIZATION OF MUSIC AND THE ARTS IN AGING AND COGNITIVE DISORDERS
Sophie Lee, 1 Hilary Moss, 2 and Desmond O'Neill, 3 1. University of Limerick, Limerick, Limerick, Ireland, 2. Irish World Academy of Music and Dance,Limerick,Limerick,Ireland,3. Trinity College Dublin,Dublin,Dublin,Ireland Research suggests that group music-making can improve well-being and cognitive function in people with dementia and their family carers. The importance of the music facilitator's role is recognised. However, empirical studies rarely capture their experiences and perspectives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three music therapists and three community musicians with specialisms in dementia care. The interviews sought to gain a detailed understanding of their work with people with dementia. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis revealed eight super-ordinate themes: (1) benefits of music-making for people with dementia; (2) challenges of working with people with dementia; (3) involving family carers; (4) musical content; (5) impact of the facilitator; (6) developing field of Arts and Health; (7) work as a privilege; and (8) potential for misuse of music. This study provides a useful basis from which to further develop concepts for the amelioration of people living with dementia and their families.