Is Photography Good For Elderly

There are senior citizens who can no longer be independent, so they need to live in an assisted living facility. This may help seniors because they will always have someone to help take care of them and they will never have to be alone. On the other hand, they could feel lonely and homesick because they miss their family. If members of a senior’s family are unable to come visit them, there is another alternative to seeing them. Photography is something that can keep memories alive by capturing the moment. I love freezing moments in time, because it brings people so much happiness, and it creates memories. Photography does not only make people smile, it helps them to remember a time in their life they otherwise could have been forgotten. This

Whether that means looking at a photo of a loved one, or doing the activity themselves. It encourages creativity and boosts self-esteem. In the blog Photography is Actually Good for Seniors, the author states “There are many unique benefits to practicing photography for seniors. Most of us know that there are many positive effects to practicing some type of art or craft. In addition, however, it seems that photography has a uniquely special impact on the well-being of the elderly” (Brown). There are plenty of benefits that are healthy for seniors. “Photography demands concentration, attention to details, and learning new techniques. Each photo is an expression of one’s self or their view of the world. There are hundreds of testimonials on how photography has helped people overcome their psychological and even physical struggles” (Brown). Learning this skill decreases stress, studies show. “Photography can lower stress levels and help you keep yourself mentally clear and calm. Moreover, it encourages you to get out and search for motivation and subjects to take photos of. Whether it’s a stroll around your house, your neighborhood, or somewhere in the mountains, photography will unconsciously make you take more walks. And we all know how healthy walks are, especially for seniors” (Brown). Learning to take pictures can influence senior citizens to get out more and practice their new

Huffington Post blogger Therese Borchard states, “here’s a simple way you can buffer yourself from the beast of depression: carry photos of your loved ones and friends in your wallet. Yep! A new study by UCLA psychologists found that by simply looking at a photograph of their significant others, a group of women reported less pain to the heat stimuli to their forearms than when they looked at pictures of an object or a stranger” (Borchard). As I stated earlier, pictures of family and friends boosts an elderly person’s memory of them. There are many seniors diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, which can make the senior that is diagnosed lose his or her memory. It also disables them to create new memories. The Alzheimer’s blog called 6 Best Ways to Stimulate Memories through Photos says, “The fact of the matter is that visual aids — especially photos — can help stimulate memories for someone with Alzheimer’s, and this holds true for people in the early stages of the disease as well as those with full-blown Alzheimer’s. Image association through photographs can play a key role in allowing those living with Alzheimer’s to reminisce about pleasant times in their lives, just as it can also help them to be engaged in the present moment by helping them remember the people in their lives” (Huntsman). It would be a