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Original Study
Hospitalization and Aesthetic Health in Older Adults

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Abstract

Objectives

To assess the impact of hospitalization on arts engagement among older people; and to assess perceptions of whether hospitals are aesthetically deprived environments.

Methods

A Survey of Aesthetic and Cultural Health was developed to explore the role of aesthetics before, during and after hospital. Study participants were n = 150 hospital in-patients aged >65. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data.

Main findings

Attendance at arts events was an important part of life for this sample and a large drop off was noted in continuation of these activities in the year post-hospital stay. Physical health issues were the main causes but also loss of confidence and transport issues. Film, dance, and music were the most popular arts for this sample prior to hospital stay. Noise pollution caused by other patients, lack of control over TV/radio, and access to receptive arts in hospital (reading and listening to music) were important issues for patients in hospital.

Conclusions

This study identifies a trend for decreasing exposure to arts beginning with a hospital stay and concludes that older people may need encouragement to resume engagement in arts following a hospital stay. There is relatively limited evidence regarding the nature of, and potential benefit from, aesthetics in healthcare and limited studies with rigorous methodology, and further research is needed to understand the aesthetic preferences of older people in hospital.

Section snippets

Methods

Participants who had been in-patients in blinded for review hospitals from the period January 2009 to July 2013 were recruited using convenience sampling to participate in a survey. Participants were selected from 2 ambulatory care services in geriatric medicine between January and September 2013. Day hospital services are used when a patient requires at least 2 modalities of medical/rehabilitation care. Referral is from out-patient clinics and in-patient beds. Convenience sampling was used.

Demographic Profile

Of the 431 participants (n = 431) invited to participate in the study, n = 150 in-patients were recruited. Participants were excluded due to length of stay, cognitive difficulty, unavailability because of appointments, and nonattendance (n = 101). Eighteen (n = 18) refused to participate.

The majority of the sample (n = 123, 82%) were greater than 75 years of age and were mainly of Irish background (n = 146, 97%). In terms of education, the majority of the sample (123, 82%) had attended

Discussion

The aim of the survey was to explore the arts interests of older participants before, during, and after hospital stay. This survey is the first study to catalog the aesthetic interests of older participants who have had a recent hospital admission, assessing the change in aesthetic and cultural activities over a 10-year course, as well as participants' satisfaction with their aesthetic environment. No such surveys could be found in the current literature.

Conclusions

This survey points to a trend for decreasing exposure to arts beginning with a hospital stay and a need to support and encourage older people to resume engagement in arts post hospital. Further research is recommended to promote a greater understanding of the aesthetic needs of older people before, during, and after hospital stay, as well as exploration of the role of aesthetics in hospital environments, the possibility of aesthetic deprivation, and/or injury in hospital. The survey begins to

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge and thank the participants who participated in this research, the staff of the Day Hospitals in Tallaght Hospital, and the Royal Hospital Donnybrook who made this project possible especially Samuel Lis, Aileen Malone, Fiona Ryan, and Anna O'Leary.

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    The research was conducted at Tallaght Hospital, Dublin and within Trinity College School of Medicine.

    This work was supported by The Meath Foundation (PhD research grant for Hilary Moss).

    This study was approved by the St James Hospital/Tallaght Hospital Research Ethics Board.

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