Connecting reminiscence, art making and cultural heritage: A pilot art-for-dementia care programme

Abstract

Incidence of dementia in Singapore is increasing and strategies to care for people with dementia are necessary. Let's Have Tea at the Museum is a pilot participatory visual art programme designed for clients at an Alzheimer's Disease Association (ADA) Singapore day care centre. The programme, which combines reminiscence with artmaking, aims at enabling participants to further explore the heritage collection at the Peranakan Museum to reawaken memories and promote personal expression. This study involved eight participants (seven females and one male) all aged 70 years and above, with mild or moderate stage Alzheimer's disease. Video recordings and journal entries were collected to study the effects of the programme on the participants. Data were analysed and interpreted using a grounded theory approach to identify general themes and facilitate focused analyses. The three themes identified in this study that support the benefits of the programme include: (1) fostering space for self-discovery, growth, and socialising; (2) art as a resource for multi-sensorial engagement and stimulation; and (3) encouraging play and boosting morale. Further use and development of the programme is recommended as a strategy to care for and enrich the lives of people with Alzheimer's disease.

The benefits of community-based participatory arts activities for people living with dementia: a thematic scoping review

“…Furthermore, it was identified that it was less about the sophistication of a skill and more about one's willingness to try something new, such as in the case of not being required to be a good singer to partake in singing activities (Unadkat et al, 2017). Overall, the experience of new learning led to improved confidence and often surprise at their potential to learn ( Tan, 2018), given that dementia is typically associated with loss, rather than the acquisition of new knowledge. Therefore, participatory arts are effective because participants are not being restricted by dementia assumptions and stigma but can freely explore their abilities and boundaries through cognitive stimulation.…”

“…All 26 reviewed papers made a varying level of reference to the underlying social benefits of participatory arts, which were viewed as an effective way to reduce social isolation, both for people with dementia and their carers (Camic et Tan, 2018). Laughter was also capable of dissolving dementia-related tensions and moments of cognitive difficulty, giving an impression of a non-judgemental shared attitude (Selberg, 2015).…”

“…With regards to setting, all 26 reviewed papers were based in settings such as museums, day care centres or theatres and were conducted in small groups. These community-based locations were praised by participants, who enjoyed the creative space (Camic et al, 2013;Belver et al, 2017;Burnside et al, 2017;Tan, 2018) and appreciated the quiet atmosphere (Camic et al, 2014;Selberg, 2015;Schall et al, 2018) but also felt connected to the wider community and society in the 'semi-public setting' (Selberg, 2015;Belver et al, 2017). Therefore, it is beneficial to conduct arts activities in semi-public spaces, where there are less distractions but an increased sense of societal contribution.…”

Changing perceptions towards dementia: How does involvement in the arts alongside persons with dementia promote positive attitudes?

“…The Arts and Dementia programme offered by the Alzheimer’s Disease Association (ADA), Singapore, was built upon a pilot programme, Let’s Have Tea at the Museum , described in Tan’s (2018) study. The Arts and Dementia programme is a series of community-based creative art activities, which include art-appreciation, art-making, singing, movement and dance and music.…”

回艺 (huí yì): Exploring art-based life review to support the relocation process for older adults with dementia in nursing homes

“…With an understanding that engaging in participatory arts can empower and enhance psychosocial and emotional wellbeing amongst older adults with dementia (McLean et al 2011;Tan 2018;Grant et al 2012), this study expands on existing life review approaches to incorporate the elements of art-making. Although most life reviews were implemented through verbal interviews or written accounts, there are two studies that support conducting life review through creative expressions for older adults (Bohlmeijer et al 2005;Misluk and King 2017).…”