The Betty & Sheldon Robbins Therapeutic Arts Fund is initially providing stipends to artists who are practicing arts therapy in setting such as Hospice, where there is a need and clear patient impact but no budget to hire the artists to do so. Over the long term, the Fund can grow to support a more systemic approach to making arts therapy available in assisted living facilities, Hospice, the hospital and other health care settings. It may even provide financial support for artists to become certified in the therapeutic arts. Thank you, Sandra Robbins and Elmar Oliveira for initiating this fund and its purpose. We look forward its growth and impact.
Research demonstrates that fostering creative arts in healthcare interventions can contribute to many positive outcomes when services are integrated into medical treatment and community prevention and wellness programs. Some of the benefits include:
- Reduced lengths of hospital stays
- Decreased need for multiple medical visits
- Increased self-esteem and reductions in stress
- Reduced reports of pain and anxiety related to illness and invasive treatment
- Reduced healthcare-related infection rates
- Decreased need for use of sedatives during medical procedures
- Reduced levels of depression and improvements in quality of life
