Creative Journeys Report 2019

72 Creative Journeys 6. Discussion At the outset of this study we posed a core research question: What is the impact of creative arts and cultural participation in building relationships for older people in care home settings? Drawing across the data from both stages of the project our findings have shown that participatory creative arts and cultural activities have real potential to impact on the nature and quality of relationships in care home settings and between care homes and the wider community. Most particularly the data from the case studies of participatory arts activities illuminates the ways in which group activities have the potential to strengthen these relationships. Central to the impact of the latter are the ways in which the creative processes underpinning the arts activities are undertaken by arts facilitators and the ways in which they build on the strengths and capabilities of people who become residents in these settings. The care context and culture in residential care homes can either facilitate or create obstacles in this process. Moving into a care home setting after living independently is known to be a significant and often traumatic point in a person’s life (Jilek, 2000). As Grenade and Boldy (2008) note “moving into an institutional environment, with its rules and routines, where one is dependent on others for care and support, can have a major impact on a person’s ability to retain a sense of autonomy and control over their lives and/or express their individuality” (p.472). However living in a care setting may also be a relief for some and offer much needed safety and security to both the individual and their family members – particularly those who have been involved in a caring capacity. Being a resident in a care home therefore brings a range of differing, possibly contradictory emotions, that whilst intense at the point of moving into care are also likely to persist over time. Importantly, moving from independent living to being someone who is cared for is a change in status and identity for the individual and their wider network. When an older person moves into residential care from their own home they may be isolated from family and friends, their sense of self-identity and social identity may be threatened and they may experience biographical discontinuity (Goffman, 1963). This is because in their previous community they would have been known by others as a person with a certain background, family, and job role, but when they move into a care setting this biography is left behind and their new community will have a limited knowledge of who they are as a person, their kinship network, and their past life. This may result in difficulties in making meaningful connections and friends in the home and could help to explain why there are high levels of loneliness in older people living in residential care (Victor, 2012). Loneliness and social isolation are most commonly thought of in relation to community settings and yet someone in a care home for older people may also be at risk of feeling lonely and isolated. This can be a result of their contact with previous networks diminishing and being in an environment where, not only are the other residents potentially new to them, but there is also likely to be a changing dynamic as the group of residents and staff change. Building meaningful relationships with other residents and staff members is therefore important in ensuring that people feel valued and have a sense of belonging. In our discussion below we draw on the core findings in the study to focus on the particular role that participatory arts have in developing in developing relationships, the creative processes that arts facilitators used to enable the building of relationships and the ways in which these activities and processes built on the strengths and capabilities of older people.