Crafting in COVID: Engagement With Textile Arts and Crafts Among Senior Living Residents Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic

When the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the elderly were identified as a vulnerable group due to their significantly higher risk of severe or fatal outcome of COVID-19. Senior residential facilities were heavily affected and in an effort to constrain the spread of the virus, many organized enrichment programs were paused. This was a concern to many as clinical literature in the fields of Occupational Therapy and Art Therapy has found that art enrichment courses, including textile arts and crafts activities, are effective in managing excess time and coping with loneliness and other emotional challenges. The purpose of this research is to understand how senior residents engaged with textile arts and crafts independently and through a time of increased stress. Due to socializing restrictions, the pandemic provided a unique opportunity to examine the benefits and challenges seniors face when working with textile crafts. Twelve interviews with senior participants were conducted and analyzed to locate key themes related to their experiences. Results of this analysis have applications for enrichment programming in senior housing facilities, design planning for senior housing, and in shaping further clinical research on the potential benefits of textile crafts.