The arts in dementia care education: a developmental study
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-06-2014-0028 |
| Pages | 18-23 |
| Date | 16 March 2015 |
| Published date | 16 March 2015 |
| Author | Hannah Zeilig,Fiona Poland,Chris Fox,John Killick |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Public mental health |
The arts in dementia care education:
a developmental study
Hannah Zeilig, Fiona Poland, Chris Fox and John Killick
Dr Hannah Zeilig is Senior
Research Associate at the
School of Rehabilitation
Sciences, University of East
Anglia, Norwich, UK and Senior
Research Fellow at the
University of the Arts,
London, UK.
Fiona Poland is Professor of
Social Research Methodology
at the School of Rehabilitation
Sciences, University of East
Anglia, Norwich, UK.
Dr Chris Fox is based at
University of East Anglia,
Norwich, UK.
John Killick is based at
Dementia Positive, Hebden
Bridge, UK.
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to outline the first stage of an innovative developmental
study addressing the educational and emotional needs of dementia care home staff using arts-based
materials.
Design/methodology/approach –The arts workshop was developed using a mixed methods approach.
This included ethnographic observation within a dementia care home, in-depth interviews with senior care
home managers, a thematic analysis of focus groups and the development of a comic. At all stages, the
multi-disciplinary project team collaborated closely with the care home staff. A comprehensive literature
review of the policy, practice and academic background to dementia workforce education provided a
contextual framework for the study. Perspectives from the medical humanities informed the project.
Findings –Despite the high prevalence of people living with dementia in care homes, there is a lack of
appropriate training for the workforce that provides their care. This study found that an arts-based workshop
offering an interactive mode of education was an effective way to engage this workforce. The workshop
empowered participants to recognise their skills and focus on person-centred care; reflecting current
recommendations for dementia care.
Research limitations/implications –The workshop was delivered in a single dementia care home and
therefore findings may not be generalisable. In addition, the management did not take a direct part in the
delivery of the workshop and therefore their views are not included in this study.
Practical implications –The arts-based approach can offer a means of engaging the dementia care
workforce in education linked to their experience of caring.
Originality/value –The paper identifies the gap in relevant education for the dementia care workforce and
outlines one possible way of addressing this gap using the arts.
Keywords Workshop, Care home, Arts, Comic, Dementia care workforce
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Despite the high prevalence of people living with dementia in care homes, there is a lack of
appropriate training for the workforce that provides their care. This paper outlines the first stage
of an innovative developmental study addressing the educational and emotional needs of
dementia care home staff using arts-based materials. While the wider applicability of the arts-
based workshop is yet to be proven, establishing its acceptability and potential has been
possible.
Education for the dementia care workforce
The policy context
In the UK, nearly half of all people with dementia live in a care home (Knapp and Prince, 2007;
Macdonald and Cooper, 2007; All Party Parliamentary Group, 2009) and almost three-quarters
of people in residential homes have dementia (Macdonald and Carpenter, 2002).
Received 5 June 2014
Revised 5 June 2014
Accepted 6 June 2014
PAG E 18
j
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH
j
VOL. 14 NO. 1 2015, pp. 18-23, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1746-5729 DOI 10.1108/JPMH-06-2014-0028
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