TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of Improv Training on Older Adults in a Long Term Care Facility
AU - Lindquist, Lee A.
AU - Liggett, Anna
AU - Muhammad, Ruqayyah
AU - Seltzer, Anne
AU - Kim, Kwang Youn A.
AU - Barish, Becca
AU - Wagner, Abby
AU - Ramirez-Zohfeld, Vanessa
N1 - Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: We wish to thank The Cozzi Family Geriatrics Research Fund, who provided funding to support this research. Dr. Lindquist is supported by grants R01 AG058777, R01 AG068421, and P30 AG059988 from the National Institute on Aging.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Adjusting to life in a long term care facility (LTCF) can be challenging for older adults. Improvisation (shortened to improv) is a unique activity that encourages creativity and adaptive cognitive stimulation, through performing short scenes with content suggestions. We sought to assess whether improv training, in the form of a course entitled Humor Doesn’t Retire (HDR), could impact patient-centered outcomes in a LTCF. About 15 adults (mean age 83.6 years) living in a LTCF participated in the 8-week HDR course with pre and 1-month post mixed method surveys assessing validated Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures and qualitative open-ended responses. Participants experienced significant improvements in social isolation and perceived stress (p <.05), and trend improvements in positive affect, self-efficacy, and anxiety. Participants described themes of increased attentiveness, becoming more relaxed, increased cognitive stimulation, and improved communication skills. In conclusion, LTCFs may want to consider offering improv training to positively improve the lives of older adult residents.
AB - Adjusting to life in a long term care facility (LTCF) can be challenging for older adults. Improvisation (shortened to improv) is a unique activity that encourages creativity and adaptive cognitive stimulation, through performing short scenes with content suggestions. We sought to assess whether improv training, in the form of a course entitled Humor Doesn’t Retire (HDR), could impact patient-centered outcomes in a LTCF. About 15 adults (mean age 83.6 years) living in a LTCF participated in the 8-week HDR course with pre and 1-month post mixed method surveys assessing validated Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures and qualitative open-ended responses. Participants experienced significant improvements in social isolation and perceived stress (p <.05), and trend improvements in positive affect, self-efficacy, and anxiety. Participants described themes of increased attentiveness, becoming more relaxed, increased cognitive stimulation, and improved communication skills. In conclusion, LTCFs may want to consider offering improv training to positively improve the lives of older adult residents.
KW - improvisation
KW - isolation
KW - long term care facilities
KW - older adults
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U2 - 10.1177/23337214211016111
DO - 10.1177/23337214211016111
M3 - Article
C2 - 34104682
AN - SCOPUS:85106892331
SN - 2333-7214
VL - 7
JO - Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine
JF - Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine
ER -