Creative Arts and Dementia: Case Study

In this project, BCA applied its use of John Heron’s Cooperative Enquiry method (a cycle of ‘idea, action and review’) to working with people with dementia. A BCA team of professionals and volunteers carried out projects using arts activities and simple listening skills with clients, care staff, school and business volunteers in residential homes and day centres. The BCA Team and community volunteers, including those recruited from business and schools, gained insights and skills, and satisfaction from knowing they helped to make a difference. ******************************************************************************************************************** Elizabeth’s story illustrates the various stages by which a lady with interfarct dementia came to produce a meaningful image and caption which helped her to relate back into her own life, and with her family. Cooperation: Bessie was introduced to the activity in a small group which included an artist volunteer. She was not left to flounder on her own. Experimentation: The medium used in [...]