Innovations in Aging Podcast Episode 4: The Value of Connection Over a Lifespan
In the Innovations in Aging podcast series, Jon Kevan, MEd, and Lauren Erdelyi, MPH, CAPM, from University of Arizona Health Sciences Global and Online sit down with experts from across the University of Arizona to discuss the latest in how we can prepare to meet the needs of the growing population of older adults in the U.S. and around the world.
In this episode, your hosts Jon and Lauren are joined by Jennie Gubner, PhD, professor at the University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music, and Yumi Shirai, PhD, professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Department of Family and Community Medicine, who together are leading the development of a graduate interdisciplinary program in applied intercultural arts research. This episode discusses intergenerational relationships, caregivers and their experience working with older adults and the important connection between music and touch.
“I have gained a lot of appreciation over the last few years for the arts being a powerful tool for older adults – both in a caregiving capacity and for someone being cared for,” said Dr. Gubner. “And these are accessible tools. That is one of the things that makes me most excited about this work: that it’s something you don’t need fancy technology to tap into.”
“If we know the history of a person and their culture, we can use music to tap into the practice application—not just for enjoyment,” added Dr. Shirai. “This is something that hasn’t been done a lot in medicine up until now.”
To learn more about the University of Arizona Health Sciences Innovations in Aging graduate programs, visit innovationsinaging.uahs.arizona.edu.