This collaborative final project between Brenda Hung and Vincente Cueto in the Art, Education, & Community Practice program at NYU, focuses on the health and well-being of the communities of elders in the Lower East Side. It was developed in partnership with Anthony Feliciano, the Director of the Commission on the Public’s Health System (a community focused organization that advocates for people’s right to access health care) and the Director of the University Settlement’s Older Adults Program, Michele Rodriguez.
The project focuses on learning about the way people see health and wellness in their lives and within their community. It engages the arts as a platform for collecting stories from community members, to envision new ways to inspire dialogue about issues within health and healthcare and the larger concerns around well-being. By focusing on individual voices from the community which are often overlooked in the methods of the health care system, the project offers a different perspective on self care, health and well being, to better inform the current practices and influence future policies and services.
Questions the participants were asked over a series of conversations, workshops and activities include :
How do you define overall well-being?
How can healthcare services be improved to better serve your community?
What does self-care mean to you?
The project has challenged its initiators’ own assumptions about the health needs of the senior population. They have found that although accessible and quality healthcare still remains at the forefront of basic care, there are many different variables that contribute to an individual’s overall health and well-being such as family, support, companionship, relationships, housing, safety, and fresh foods.
Project Book: Community Book of Well-being
Project Website: Community Health and Well-being in the Lower East Side