Healing Arts at Lifespan
Adults and children can stretch their creative
muscles and find an expressive outlet for their feelings.
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M u s i c
o
n W h e e l s
Supported by the Rhode Island Hospital
Medical Staff Association, Museum on
Wheels offers patients the opportunity to
choose new artwork for their rooms from a
traveling library of prints and photographs.
Making the rounds
at Rhode Island Hospital,
volunteers who
are trained to elicit
maximum benefits
from their interactions
with patients
transport the cart
filled with artwork.
Subject matter includes
landscapes,
animals, birds, sports and children. The artwork
is generally uplifting to enhance the
patient’s room and provide comfort, yet
interesting enough to stimulate conversation.
The volunteer encourages the patient to
select a work of art to hang in his or her
room for one or two weeks. At the end of
this period, the volunteer will return with the
art cart from which the patient may choose
another picture. The element of choice—selecting one’s favorite artwork and changing
one’s environment—is a crucial aspect of the
program. Being able to choose, in an environment
where choices are few, helps encourage
mental alertness and a sense of
connection to the outside world.
The artwork can promote communication
through thoughtful discussions between patient
and volunteer about subject matter and
significance of the work. Conversation about
a non-medical issue is often therapeutic for
the patient. The artwork also can influence
staff to interact with patients on a more personal
level.
Other effects of the prints are less tangible,
highly personal and unique to each person,
setting and interaction. Patients take pride in
having their selections hung on the walls of
their rooms, and family and friends also benefit
from the changing artwork.
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