Painting Senior Citizens

I may be doing a donation gig at our local Adult Day Center. Most of the people there are going to be over 65. Any suggestions for avoiding problems with wrinkly skin?
Any ideas about designs that will make them feel special?

Just thought I'd throw it out there...

Thanks!

Here's a couple of older threads that may help:

http://www.facepaintforum.com/how-d-you-do-that-f7/help-with-vintage-skin-t3479.htm?highlight=adult+skin

http://www.facepaintforum.com/general-face-painting-f1/any-tricks-to-painting-older-skin-t2812.htm?highlight=older+skin

Thank you so much! I had done several searches with different seniors related terms but none turned these up.

Avoid linework over wrinkles. The brush catches on them & skips. I like to do small flower petals & clusters of dots. Metallic don't look as good on older skin. Avoid colors that stain as older skin can stain. Older skin can be very thin, so don't use glitter tattoos on people in Assisted Living Facility situations. Removing the tattoo can actually damage the skin tearing it. I do a lot of balloon twisting in Sr Homes, but not a lot of face painting or glitter tattoos.

I always try to avoid designs that are right around the eyes, on older people. Outside corners of eyes are okay, but eyelids and underneath the eyes are very difficult and rarely look nice if the skin is wrinkled. Forehead designs and cheek designs are ideal.

While you paint, using your thumb to stretch the skin very gentley might help, like when plucking ones eyebrows... which my Mum still insists on doing into her seventies, fair dues to her, the glamour puss.!!

I'm finding that painting on children who scrunch up their face very difficut around their eyes so I've started doing that to good effect.

lizdexia wrote:Thank you so much! I had done several searches with different seniors related terms but none turned these up.

Yeah, sometimes you have to search wonky stuff to get the results you're looking for. I searched a bunch of different words before I came up with those 2 threads. Also, a lot of the time, subjects get discussed in the details of a totally different thread and are really hard to find in the search.

I have found that it's easier to use google with this: site:facepaintforum.com That will search all the text in a thread instead of just the titles.

IamGinaW wrote:I have found that it's easier to use google with this: site:facepaintforum.com That will search all the text in a thread instead of just the titles.

(Skies open up, angels start singing, bright light of good ideas shines down on me... )
You're a genius Gina, why I never thought to do that is beyond me, thank you! I drive myself crazy trying to find past threads that I can't remember the titles of.

Last year (Summer of '09) I was hired for a child's birthday party to face paint; client was so use to hiring me that she didn't think about it being a pool party ...hmmm? That's a little problem with face painting..LOL! But I made it work out nicely - there were many older (*ahem, Vintage) guests at the party who did not get in the pool so I asked if they would like to be painted and they were all thrilled to feel young again. The grandkids LOVED IT!!! Here are a few from that event. I especially love the "KISS" fan - he wanted to be Gene Simmons! & I asked to make sure "are you sure you want your whole face painted?" he said "most definitely!!! you only live once". We had soooo much fun!!!! (I am soooo glad I painted him that day....he was 80+ , sadly he pasted away two months later...he rocked!)
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Here's the 80 yr old great-grandma I painted:

IamGinaW wrote:I have found that it's easier to use google with this: site:facepaintforum.com That will search all the text in a thread instead of just the titles.

I just has a DUH!? moment!!!!!

I wouldnt worry too much about stressing over too many design options. Unfortunately, chances are most of those people aren't going to want to be painted. Now what might please them even more would be seeing you paint their family members and especially grandchildren.

I worked in a nursing center at the beginning of my career for a few years and it seems that either the older ladies take so much pride in their makeup that they wouldnt want to mess it up, or you have the ones who are no longer interested in anything like that all together. There never seemed to be a middle of the road with that. (I'm assuming this crowd will be late 70's and up, of course) Some of the younger seniors may be okay, I'm not sure what age an adult day care is made up of.

The older gentlemen would probably be even less likely to participate.
I think it's a great thing but I wouldnt be upset if you didnt get to paint any of the seniors. The older people have such thin skin & sensitivity issues (way more so than children) that I don't think it would be very wise. I'd go for painting the family members though and possibly even any staff, I think the seniors would enjoy seeing that very much! It would also make for a very good sensory stimulation exercise which is always beneficial to seniors advanced in age. Let them suggest colors for you to use, make choices, etc. Good luck with it!!!

You would actually be surprised who wants painting. I have been working with persons in care for many years in many different capacities. If it's an adult day program, I'm going to assume there is either individuals with dementia, alzheimers or individuals with developmental disibilities. Either way, when doing your own face, you should try to leave a large portion of your face unpainted, so they won't feel threatened or scared, until they understand why your there. You could also do a couple of staff as a demonstration, because the repetive messaging will allow for them to understand why your there. Let them try it, even if it's not on the face, try hands and arms. Happiness is based on individual perception and you never know what's going to make somone happy. Have fun

Gloria those are awesome! My mom is coming the week after Christmas so I'm going to practice on her.