Meet Janae Coraggio, a Life Enrichment Specialist whose title barely scratches the surface of what she brings to the community. With credentials as a board-certified art therapist, Janae was hired to design therapeutic art programs and conduct on-on-one art sessions with residents. Her therapeutic art programs are grounded in psychological theory but expressed through different mediums of art.
“I’m assessing residents’ needs and tailoring activities that are emotionally and psychologically appropriate,” she explains. “Additionally, as an LES and Art therapist, I’m trained to assess for risks and behavioral or cognitive changes of the resident in the artwork that’s created.”
Janae leads creative programs every weekday, moving between all three levels of care. Each session lasts one to two hours with specific art mediums matching to the needs of residents. For anxiety, controlled materials like colored pencil art; For emotional release, less controlled mediums like watercolor or clay; and for memory stimulation, collage projects that can spark recollections.
One of Janae’s favorite weekly programs is having the residents read children’s books and creating art in response. The inspiration for this program comes from her master’s thesis on the therapeutic value of children’s literature. Many stories, when revisited later in adulthood, take on new depth. Residents reflect on their lived experiences, process the book’s themes, and channel feelings that surface into visual art.
“When we were young, we read these books to learn something new,” Janae says.
“Now we bring a lifetime of experiences to them.”
Janae’s programs impact residents in ways far beyond art, as it helps with pain management for residents, cognitive stimulation, anxiety reduction, and emotional resilience in the face of loss or life transitions. It can also serve as a way to engage and reduce isolation for residents, especially for those who initially resist. In time, many surprise themselves with what they create.
“Later in life, we sometimes return to early behaviors—play, curiosity, and self expression. I encourage residents with that same invitation: Let’s play, let’s get messy, let’s explore”.
Right now, Janae is preparing for an all-resident art show on October 23, where both assisted living and memory care residents will display their works on the theme of nature. Each piece will be accompanied by the artist’s reflections, turning the event into both a gallery and a celebration of personal meaning.
Looking forward, Janae hopes to be able to implement formal clinical art therapy (which requires specific consent and mental health documentation) into the community sometime in the future. She believes the senior living industry as a whole would benefit from adding certified art therapists into their care teams as an integral part of holistic care. For residents navigating dementia, grief, loss of independence, or new medical diagnoses, art therapy can become a powerful tool to bring color and joy to the canvas of their lives.
For Janae, the importance of her work is clear: “Art gives residents a voice. It provides a tangible expression of their values, their memories and their sense of purpose. It can help with isolation, rebuild self-esteem, and remind them they still have something unique to contribute to the world.”