Targeted Museum Programs for Older Adults: A Research and Program Review

Christina Smiraglia

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Museums and Cultural Heritage Libraries and Information Services Art Therapy and Mental Health

Abstract

Abstract Older adults are a growing segment of the population in the United States and other countries, but museum professionals are generally not as familiar with designing and evaluating programs for the elderly as they are for younger audiences. This study reviews research about, and descriptions of, programs targeted at older adults that can provide models for program development, improvement, and evaluation for museum professionals. Information from the past thirty years was reviewed, and the sources, settings, audiences, methods, types, and outcomes of 142 programs were examined. Five main types of programs were found: reminiscence, object‐oriented, art, storytelling, and lectures—along with an array of benefits for participants. The most common outcomes of programs for older adults were increased socialization and improved mood. The review found that many models for museum programming and related research exist in the health sector, and implications for museum research and practice are discussed.

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References

2000Learning from Museums: Visitor Experiences and the Making of Meaning 2014Publication bias in the social sciences: Unlocking the file drawer 2008Touch in Museums: Policy and Practice in Object Handling 2009‘Colour and communion’: Exploring the influences of visual art-making as a leisure activity on older women's subjective well-being 2015Museopathy: Exploring the Healing Potential of Handling Museum Objects 2002Social interaction associated with visual art discussions: A controlled intervention study 2002THE USE OF REMINISCENCE THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION IN RURAL-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS 2002Adult Museum Programs: Designing Meaningful Experiences

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2020A History of Participation in Museums and Archives 2015Museum programming and mood: Participant responses to an object-based reminiscence outreach program in retirement communities 2020Grandfathers at Melbourne Museum: Shining a Spotlight on Overlooked Museum Visitors 2020Education and the relationships between museums and older audiences: A scoping review protocol 2019

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