Community-based arts programs for persons with dementia and their care partners hold tremendous potential for increasing cognitive, social, and creative engagement and improving quality of life for these dyads. This is a qualitative, grounded theory analysis of here:now, a joint arts engagement program for persons with dementia and their care partners that involves gallery tours and art classes. Twenty-one care partners and 13 persons with dementia completed in-depth, semi-structured telephone interviews approximately two weeks following participation in the program. The program was well received by both persons with dementia and care partners as evidenced by high levels of engagement, mindfulness, social connection, and positive interactions. Factors identified as important to the experience included the museum space itself, the facilitation process, and socialization with other participants. Results form the basis for a conceptual model for assessing outcomes of arts programming and highlight the unique position of museums to support persons with dementia and their care partners in the community.

Advanced heart failure therapies such as ventricular assist devices and home inotrope use are becoming more common. Technology advances as well as increased indications for use of such therapies is leading to a higher percentage of patients with end-stage heart failure receiving these therapies at end of life. We present a case of a young man with dilated cardiomyopathy who undergoes advanced cardiac care in the setting of progressively declining cardiac function. Our case outlines the importance of acute care, palliative care, and hospice services being coordinated prior to and during acute-care services to provide goal-concordant and expeditious care. With advancing medical therapies for heart disease, increased coordination and collaboration of services are needed, particularly between hospice and acute-care services.

Around the world people with dementia face stigma and social exclusion. An interdisciplinary team from Seattle, Washington, and Vancouver, British Columbia led a collaborative project developing cross-border community partnerships to increase awareness and reduce stigma, promote social participation of people with dementia, and enhance their well-being. The work was organized around three themes - citizen engagement, social entrepreneurship, and creative expression – and involved regular meetings so researchers, community providers, and people with dementia and care partners could know each other better. Dementia Without Borders was organized as an end-of-project celebration, a public festival bringing together community members from both countries to share what the team had learned from each together. The event took place at the Peace Arch, an international park straddling the border between Washington and British Columbia. Over 140 people arrived on their respective sides, created banners, and walked together to the Peace Arch to meet and exchange gifts with those coming from the other country. A picnic shelter was used to display art created by people with dementia and outdoor tables allowed everyone to eat together and listen to poetry readings and musical performances. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive with many expressing a sense of hope and belonging. This project has leveraged the symbolic power of an international border to generate new ideas about fostering social inclusion and reducing stigma for people with dementia. It shows the importance of place and history, building relationships on trust and participation, and being flexible and responsive to opportunities for social innovation.

Family caregivers (FCs) are essential in helping manage pain for patients who receive hospice care at home, but an accessible resource to prepare FCs in pain management is lacking. This study aims to develop an accessible resource that aids FCs in pain management. First, we conducted two literature reviews and two secondary data analyses to investigate the challenges that FCs face when managing pain for patients. Based on the results, we identified 20 common challenges that prevent FCs from providing effective pain management. Second, we developed evidence-based content to address each identified challenge, and a library to provide FCs with pain education. Third, experts and clinicians (n=10) in hospice care validated the content, and FCs (n=10) gave feedback on how to improve the understandability of the content. Currently, we are converting the content to a web app prototype. The web app will consist of: (1) an assessment tool with questions to assess the FCs’ challenges when managing patients’ pain, (2) computer-generated strategies tailored to address the identified challenges, (3) discussion questions for FCs to use with their care team to prioritize goals of pain management, and (4) a library to enhance access to educational materials. This study presented the process of developing an evidence-based and user-centered web app. This study will advance the field of pain management in hospice care by providing accessible and evidence-based tools to support and engage FCs in pain management. Also, this web app will allow best practices to be quickly translated from research into practice.