It was a very enlightening experience when I recently accompanied a colleague to an animation session with the elderly at the Mosta Central Home. I had previously been to the home and had been struck by the residents’ listlessness as they watched TV or just stared vacantly, while at times picking on one another.

Organised by the Malta Drama Centre under the auspices of the Directorate for Lifelong Learning together with the assistance of the Ministry of Education and the Parliamentary Secretariat for the Elderly, these sessions, comprised of a mix of old-time songs and Flamenco dances, aim to bring out the residents’ ‘creativity’, thus fostering an atmosphere of expressiveness, which offers multiple rewards. It is now an accepted medical fact that creative expression at all stages of life helps to boost the immune system, and in later life it can also help with mental alertness and mobility.

In the UK, such programmes have been going on for years. Theatrical animation is being used to help the elderly adapt to new physical challenges, while also helping them deal with issues connected with dying, family tensions or estrangements and the solitude and depression peculiar to old age. In researching the work that is being carried out abroad, I came across the concept of Reminiscence Theatre, where the elderly participants work with drama-therapists in projects that involve Alzheimer’s, among various other degenerative diseases. In 1993, the European Network of Reminiscence was established in the UK to create a common pool of shared knowledge and resources.

The Malta Drama Centre project seems to be following this lead. Although unfamiliar with some of the musicals songs, the residents appeared to be quite open to the experience. However, they came alive when it was the turn of songs in Maltese. It has been established that the brain remembers songs learnt in childhood and adolescence long after it has stored away more recent life events. So the focus on song and dance is really apt. I was particularly moved when a wheelchair-bound resident tried to imitate the intricate flamenco hand movements. Another feisty resident stood up to dance with a member of staff.

Such initiatives help foster a better relationship between carers and residents. It must be acknowledged that caring for elderly residents with a panoply of health concerns is extremely challenging and being able to witness the more reserved open and lighten up, albeit momentarily, helps no end in fostering a more dignified environment.

Patricia Gatt

MOSTA