Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Increasing numbers of older adults with dementia are living in long-term care homes, presenting significant challenges to the current health care system. Residents with dementia frequently experience apathy and lack motivation, resulting in their limited engagement in activities and relationships. Subsequently, care-providers struggle to find ways for these residents to experience quality of life. Creative programming through arts-based activities and inter-generational partnerships can enhance affect, increase interpersonal interactions, and positively impact wellness. However, it remains that older adults with dementia, particularly those with advanced disease spend long periods in passive activity with few opportunities to enjoy meaningful activities and relationships. While there is increasing interest in non-pharmaceutical interventions, there is little is known about the experiences of dementia and the possibilities for meaningful social and emotional engagement for persons with advanced dementia. The purpose of this study is to understand the experiences of meaningful activities and relationships for older adults with advanced dementia living in long-term care. A variety of qualitative methods will be used to capture the perspectives of participants, including video and participant observations, and go-along conversations. Participants will be observed in a variety of contexts including an innovative inter-generational dance programme partnering school aged children with residents living in a neighbouring long-term care home in a weekly ballet class. The visual data gathered will allow for creative knowledge dissemination designed to increase sensitivity and awareness among care-providers, enhancing their capacity to design and deliver person-centered care to better meet the needs of residents with advanced dementia.