All human kinds go through various stages of human development until the life journey that starts at the womb ends its journey at the tomb. But, before the journey concludes at the womb, almost all human beings experience the physical and psychological consequences of the late adulthood stage; especially because they lose their both physical and psychological strengths and experience a number of age-related challenges including forgetfulness and muscle weakness. And it is under this stage that the senior citizens need support, proper care and love.
According to Natnael Hailu (MD) founder of Grace Nursing Home, elderly citizens need both physical and psychological support not only from the people around them but also from the society and health institutions. As to him, helping elderly people physically and psychologically is a moral obligation of everyone. “By helping and supporting them, we are also helping each other,” he added.
Grace Nursing Home was established with a mission to serve the elderly members of the community whose health is affected because of either health-related cases or age-related diseases. The nursing home is providing all the necessary care in a professional way which includes art therapy; and this journalist had an opportunity to visit the Nursing Home and had moments of togetherness with the founder and co-founder of the institution.
According to Natnael, Grace Home Care was founded based on personal experience. “Whenever one of the members of our families goes through hardship, it is not only that specific person who is affected the most; but the whole family is likely to be distressed though it is in different ways and different extents. No matter how strong economically that particular family is, the suffering of a certain family member touches the life of every member. It was out of such experience that Grace Nursing Home came into existence.”
There are several patients who are benefitting from the services and care provided by the center. Some of them are patients with long term care and others are patients who need palliative care which involves pain management. End of life care is the other area where patients will receive care in the Nursing Home. The center will also help elders with terminal illnesses to have a peaceful death.
According to Natnael (MD), provision of nursing health care to elderly people or any patients requires moral commitment from any health practitioners. It goes beyond pursuing money. Whenever one helps and provides care to a particular patient, he/she is also helping the whole family. In this regard, the nursing home is a place where the elderly get physical, spiritual, social and psychological care. Concurrently, because art has its own benefits in healing physical and psychological illnesses, elders paint to get some type of respites.
“Art therapy is not something new to the modern world. Helping patients with art therapy (music, painting or any other art) is a common technique exercised in most economically advanced countries. And art therapy is one of the areas where Grace Nursing Home Center is exercising it to comfort elderly citizens.” According to Natnael, art has a healing power over patients. This was also witnessed in globally acclaimed universities. Here in Ethiopia, research has also been conducted in the area and positive results were witnessed.
For instance, a research conducted by Jimma University to identify the benefits of using Begena (Harp) in helping individuals with depression, the finding was very encouraging. Art has some type of therapeutic effect in stabilizing heartbeat, alleviating depression and creating joy to patients. Similar research has also proven the power of music to relieve patients with muscle tension and other health related problems.
From our experiences at the nursing home, art therapy in Ethiopia is witnessing encouraging results. “We are watching this while several patients responding to art therapy positively. For instance, those elders with insomnia were helped with Begena (Harp) and they responded positively. Whenever those people (patients) with insomnia problems hear Begena song, their muscles relax and fall asleep comfortably. In addition to Begena, Kirar, Masinko and other modern musical instruments are also used to help elders. As part of art therapy, elderly patients are also encouraged to engage in visual art.”
According to Natnael (MD), art therapy is not only helping elders who are under their care; it is also helping medical practitioners to know the mental status of a particular patient. The kind of colors they use on their paintings or what they may paint reflect what is in their minds or what is going on within them and help medical specialists to help them.
Art therapy also has a key role to help patients regain their memories. For instance, there are patients who lose their memory and even forget members of their own family. However, the moment they hear their favorite music or start to paint, they recuperate their memory.
On her part, Co-founder of Grace Nursing Home, Tsion Solomon (MD), said that helping elders physically and psychologically needs not only professional commitment; it also needs integrating moral and cultural values. The physical pain might be healed using medicines but the psychological pains need further efforts. “In this regard, we are helping elderly patients to regain not only their mental strength but also spiritual endurance through various spiritual and cultural practices.”
“Just to mention, here in Ethiopia we do have several cultural practices that have a power to uplift the spirit of patients. In this regard, we facilitate a coffee ceremony to help them share experience and let them go to churches, mosques or any places,” she remarked.
What is more, Tsion further said, social gathering is another significant treatment that is carried out in Grace Nursing Home. Ethiopia is a land with several cultural value systems. Applying such a social gathering to help elders will help them to share experience. “An individual who was once physically active and a respected figure in his social life, finding himself or herself in health care centers will leave several questions to him/her. For this reason, arranging times to take part in coffee ceremonies along with others or enjoy music in a group will heal their psychological pain.”
Tsion also said that whenever older people feel as if they are deserted by their children or any other family members due to their health status may sense as if they are unwanted and develop the feelings of depression. They even go to the extent of praying to God to take their life. In most cases, they are under a victim mentality. Under such a situation providing them with all necessary care and love will soothe their broken heart. Taking them to religious institutions or bringing them more closely to their family members will help them to get relief.
Seconding Natnael`s view, Tsion said that helping elderly patients with art is bearing positive results within the center. Elderly citizens whose mind was over taken by negative thoughts are seen using cool colors, such as black, while painting. However, the moment they get the right treatment, the colors they use on their paintings will dramatically change. This is a clear indication how powerful art is in helping elders to recover from their illness at the nursing home.
BY LEULSEGED WORKU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 1 AUGUST 2023
