Making Well-being: Exploring the Role of Makerspaces in Long Term Care Facilities

Fourth-age residents in long-term care facilities (LTCF) are known to suffer declines in well-being due to their advanced age and resulting loss of independence. Using an action research approach, we set up a makerspace in a New Jersey LTCF for eight weeks to see whether it could improve well-being for residents. Based on engaged observation over 280 hours and semi-structured interviews with participants, we find that people aged 80-99 years will spend (sometimes significant) time in a makerspace for the purposes of making and companionship; that makerspaces can contribute to both autonomy and well-being for older residents; and participants produced not only decorative art, but novel artifacts that solved real challenges in their daily lives. We situate these findings in the literature on art and activity therapy for fourth-age people, and make recommendations for makerspaces in long-term care facilities.