Participatory Action Research Project Into Dementia Care Health Clowning: lessons learned about the methodology
by Lieke de Kock (the Netherlands)
A growing amount of evidence shows the positive impact of arts-based interventions in dementia care. Existing studies focus on the impact of such interventions on individuals with dementia, yet there is little known about contextual factors influencing the impact of such practices. Contextual factors include personal and relational processes, such as the collaboration between staff, family members, and artists. It also includes making specific organizational choices about the way in which arts and care organizations structure and organize their collaboration.
In this interactive presentation we present how we investigated contextual factors influencing the potential impact of health care clowning for persons with dementia. Through multi-country participatory action research (PAR) into health care clowning in dementia care, this study engaged artists (health care clowns), staff, family members, and representatives from four long-term dementia care facilities and three health care clowning organizations. The results of this study demonstrate that elements in the PAR process such as open dialogue and arts-based research methods can create communicative spaces which can serve as a catalyst for effective implementation of arts-based practices in long-term dementia care. Elements of the PAR process can therefore be regarded as a form of successful boundary work and in the future could be applied when implementing arts-based interventions in care setting.
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Read more: Improving Collaboration Between Staff, Family Members, and Artists in Long-Term Dementia Care: A Participatory Action Research Project Into Health Care Clowning
- meaningful lives, welfare and well-being
- mutual relations between people living in difference together
- prevention of loneliness through everyday life experiences
- complementing medical and pharmacological understandings of aging and dementia.
With a new conceptual repertoire Artful Dementia Research Lab promotes research-based cultural and societal change.
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In this interactive presentation we present how we investigated contextual factors influencing the potential impact of health care clowning for persons with dementia. Through multi-country participatory action research (PAR) into health care clowning in dementia care, this study engaged artists (health care clowns), staff, family members, and representatives from four long-term dementia care facilities and three health care clowning organizations. The results of this study demonstrate that elements in the PAR process such as open dialogue and arts-based research methods can create communicative spaces which can serve as a catalyst for effective implementation of arts-based practices in long-term dementia care. Elements of the PAR process can therefore be regarded as a form of successful boundary work and in the future could be applied when implementing arts-based interventions in care setting.
Read more: Improving Collaboration Between Staff, Family Members, and Artists in Long-Term Dementia Care: A Participatory Action Research Project Into Health Care Clowning
- meaningful lives, welfare and well-being
- mutual relations between people living in difference together
- prevention of loneliness through everyday life experiences
- complementing medical and pharmacological understandings of aging and dementia.
With a new conceptual repertoire Artful Dementia Research Lab promotes research-based cultural and societal change.
