Various studies in the fields of art & craft, sewing and knitting therapy have confirmed that these activities can affect individuals by inducing both psychological and physiological healing. While our brains inevitably age, creative abilities do not necessarily deteriorate. In fact, the ageing brain has been proven to respond well to art, crafts, knitting and sewing.
Over the last few years, Ekta-Unity has been running arts & craft and knitting activities which provide our elderly service users with the opportunity to explore their creativity. These activities have had a huge impact on the lives of our service users. When elderly people pursue activities that are based on meaning, purpose and honesty, they can attain wisdom and integrity rather than experiencing longing and despair. As well as the benefits of preventing boredom and keeping our service users occupied, their overall wisdom and happiness has increased through creative activity.
In addition, Ekta-Unity has found that our knitting sessions have had physical and mental health benefits, including slowing the onset of dementia, combating depression and distracting from chronic pain. It has been a sociable activity that helped our service users overcome isolation and loneliness, too often a feature of old age.
The lockdown and self-isolation has been very challenging for Ekta-Unity’s service users. However, inside the ‘care packs’ that we have been delivering to our service users we have included various arts & craft and knitting activities, haberdashery (including buttons, zips, thread, ribbon, felt, paper, fabric and wool), that they can do in the comfort of their own homes. A lot of them are chronically lonely at this moment in time and knitting has helped to combat this.
It has been encouraging to see photos sent in by some of our service users: Kuldip Grewal, Narabdaben Gosai and Elizabeth, our Trustee: Parmjit Bains and our Lead Session Worker: Kiran Brar, of arts & craft and knitting activities that they have completed at home during the last 3 weeks of the lockdown.
Muna Chauhan
Vice-Chair
Ekta Unity
