Arts and Dementia
In 2006 the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence outlined the principles of person-centred care and defined five psycho-social needs for people living with Dementia: comfort, attachment, identity, inclusion and occupation. This embraces the person-centred approach initiated by Kitwood. The goal of person-centred approach is to respect the person being cared for despite cognitive impairment. “Where the personhood of the individual is recognised and valued, the person-with-dementia is awarded standing and status as a respected and valued social being.” (Kitwood, 1997). Statutory health and social care agencies largely focus on meeting instrumental activities of daily living, but they rarely give meaning and purpose to people’s lives. Arts interventions provide a vehicle for self-expression and social engagement enabling individuals and carers to remain worthwhile members of the community. …show more content…
People living with dementia are encouraged to engage in creative activities, to stimulate brain activity and bring inspirational relief from anxiety and confusion for them, their families and carers. A wealth of research and anecdotal evidence has demonstrated that participation in creative activities promotes health and wellbeing, (Staricoff, 2006, Arts Council UK, 2007, Stuckey and Nobel, 2010) as well as physical and mental health benefits in older people. (Castora-Binkley, 2010) Evidence shows that when dementia patients are given the opportunity to access creative arts they express themselves and engage socially; those who were otherwise despondent come to life, including those who are often inactive become active and verbal. The current Dementia arts research does not focus on how the arts can affect the relationship between carer and person living with