Vital Involvement in Service Coordination (VISC)
Vital Involvement is inacted when:
a person participates in a meaningful activity or interaction with any element of his/her environment
People want to be identified by:
- Who they are
- What they think
- What they've done
- What they dream
NOT by their immediate situations that may involve needs and health concerns
The FOCUS is on:
the Whole Person and his/her desire to live a meaningful life
The program assists the person in finding solutions to obstacles that may stand in his/her way.
Promoting Vital Involvement Occurrs When a Service Coodinator:
Produces an action that ENCOURAGES an Elder to participate in meaningful interactions with his/her environment
Vital Involvement in Service Coordination (VISC):
- shifts the goal of intervention towards supporting the Elder in experiencing a meaningful daily life; away from accomplishing a particular task for the Elder client
Vital Involvement can be defined as meaningful engagement with the world outside of self.
(Erikson et al., 1986: Kivnick & Stoffel, 2005)
ART, WELLNESS AND VITAL INVOLVEMENT IN AGING™ (AWVIA)
The Aging, Wellness and the Arts™(AWA) model was developed in 2009 to address the debilitating despair and loneliness often found in communities of older adults who are isolated, experiencing illness and depression and whose health, mobility or economic circumstances result in very low social engagement (Duncan Davis, 2009). AWA’s approach is modeled after the Creativity and Aging study conducted by the late Dr. Gene Cohen. In 2013, Helen Kivnick (PhD., Professor of Social Work at the University of Minnesota) and Linda Duncan Davis (Gerontologist) founded an informal collaboration to enhance creative wellness among residents living in 90 Affordable Senior Housing Communities. The two recognized the potential complementarity of their two approaches and combined them to create the Art, Wellness and Vital Involvement in Aging™ (AWVIA) model. This model is grounded in the longstanding principle of Vital Involvement (VI), defined as meaningful reciprocal engagement with the world outside of the self (Erikson et al., 1986; Kivnick, 2005; Kivnick, 2010; Kivnick & Pruchno, 2010; Kivnick & Stoffel, 2005; Kivnick & Wells, 2014).
Scientific studies reveal that art heals by changing a person's physiology. The body's physiology changes from one of stress to one of deep relaxation.
- Art and music change brainwave patterns, affect a person's autonomic nervous system, hormones and brain transmitters
- Promoting Vital Involvement occurs when a person takes some action that encourages an Elder to participate in meaningful interaction with his/her environment
The research based AWVIA™ program combines the principles of art as wellness and Vital Involvement practice to promote a rich environment of creativity and opportunity.
Our Observations:
Living a Meaningful Life Promotes:
*Overall wellbeing
*Increased quality of life
*Decreased depression
*Increased socialization
*Provides contribution/value
added to the community
quantitative, quasi-experimental research
A study examining the physical, cognitive, social and emotional effects of music engagement -
on low-income older adults. The primary goal of this research is to test and quantify the efficancy of the Art, Wellness and Vital Involvement in Aging™ (AWVIA) model using music program delivered to low-income older adults living in affordable housing communities.
This research was funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.
This model may be used with all art forms and in different populations.
Further research is planned.
OVER 3,000 QUALITATIVE STORIES ON VITAL INVOLVEMENT IN SERVICE COORDINATION
Service Coordinators trained in Vital Involvement sent qualitative narratives to the University of Minnesota to be coded and analyzed. The identifiers for health promoting, meaningful endeavors were shared directly with the Service Coordinators to enhance their work.
Below read the final study report as sent to the National Endowment for the Arts and written by LinChiat Chang, Ph.D., the Primary Investigator of the study.
The Study report can also be found on the NEA Website and
Information
Definitions:
Autonomic Nervous System: A part of the nervous system that regulates key involuntary functions of the body, including the activity of the heart muscle; the smooth muscles, including the muscles of the intestinal tract; and the glands.
Creative Aging: Older adults engaging in the practice of the creative arts in any form and in any capacity.
Gerontology: The branch of science that deals with aging, problems that may be associated with aging and the promotion of opportunities that promote good health in aging.
HUD: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
HUD 202 Affordable Senior Housing: Government subsidized housing for low-income persons 62 and older who live independently.
Service Coordinators: Link people to supportive services and other community resources which will contribute to continued good health and independence in aging (Many HUD 202 communities employ a Service Coordinator).
Vital Involvement Meaningful engagement with the world outside of self. (Erikson et al., 1986: Kivnick & Stoffel, 2005)
