You may think a nursing home is the last place you will find an innovative workshop where people can create works of art, on their own schedule, using some pretty high-tech gadgets.
But think again, because that is exactly what is going on at Reformed Church Home (RCH) in Old Bridge this summer.
The brainchild of Kayla Carucci, a Middletown resident and Ph.D. student at the University of Michigan, “Creations with Kayla” has found great traction among RCH residents as they explore traditional crafting using some pretty cutting-edge technologies – ones that might even surprise some millennials. And the best part is, they are creating mainly on their own, with little instruction from Carucci herself.
The concept is known in popular culture as a “makerspace,” but Carucci has added her own spin by applying the fundamentals of the maker movement in the senior, long-term care setting. Her goal is to determine if the well-being of long term care residents can be improved by offering self-directed sessions using low- and high-tech tools to create whatever the participant chooses.
Carucci has brought this novel program to RCH thanks to a grant from the University of Michigan School of Information. She hopes to not only gather the data needed for her dissertation on the same topic, but also to see how best to implement makerspaces in real world, senior care communities.
“I hope to empower residents to make the decision to come at their convenience and create to their hearts desire. It’s a chance to do something different and challenging. There’s no reason seniors can’t take advantage of spaces that are in place in libraries, schools and commercial settings,” Carucci said.
Indeed, the makerspace model has been around since the early 2000s, fueled mostly by an interest in computer science and robotics. It has evolved to become a hands on learning environment for children, DIY-ers, crafters and entrepreneurs. Equipment used in some makerspaces include 3D printers, iPads, digital embroidery equipment, and even sewing machines, all of which are in place at RCH for the residents to explore. But some low tech things are available as well, like knitting needles, yarn, squishy circuits and button makers.
According to Kate Shepard, executive director of RCH, “We are thrilled to have been chosen as the pilot facility for Kayla’s research, which offers our residents a unique opportunity to try new and challenging creative pursuits. Through interviews with participants and personal observations, Kayla will collect the feedback needed to fine tune her ideas and adjust the program going forward.”
“I could do this all day, I really enjoy it,” said Mary Puskar, an assisted living resident at the home. “I’m learning so many things, like candlemaking and how to paint on an iPad using a Stylus. We even digitally embroidered my name on a sweater so I wouldn’t misplace it again.”
Nursing home resident Sabina McCarthy agreed.
“I have arthritis and can’t write or do much with my hands, but I can design something on the 3D printer and watch it print. I can finally do crafts again,” she said.
With a Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography and video, a master’s degree in information, and a lifelong interest in crafting, Carucci is well suited to lead the charge. Once her five year Ph.D. program is completed, she hopes to teach at a research university to explore the interactions among people, information and technology in greater depth. In the meantime, residents are embracing these new technologies and their new-found talents thanks to Carucci’s pop-up makerspace at RCH.
Reformed Church Home is a highly respected, not-for-profit healthcare community offering assisted living, rehabilitation, skilled nursing and respite care to seniors of all faiths and beliefs. The home consistently has been awarded 5-star Quality of Care ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services each quarter since inception of the program in 2008; has been recognized as one of the best nursing homes in the country by U.S. News & World Report; received the Embracing Quality Award from Providigm (2013-15); and was named Best of the Best Assisted Living Community in Middlesex County for the past five years. For additional information, contact Andrea Walls, director of Marketing, at 732-607-9230, or visit www.reformedchurchhome.org.
