title: "It makes me feel like myself": Person-centered versus traditional visual arts activities for people with dementia.
abstract: During a 15-month period between February 2010 and April 2011, video data on (n = 38) people with dementia were collected during a person-centered and intergenerational arts activity program called Opening Minds through Art (OMA) at three different long-term care facilities in Ohio. A subsample of the OMA participants (n = 10) were also video recorded during traditional visual arts activities (e.g. coloring books, scrapbooking). A modified version of the Greater Cincinnati Chapter Well-Being Observation Tool© was used to code the intensity and frequency of observed domains of well-being (i.e. social interest, engagement, and pleasure) and ill-being (i.e. disengagement, negative affect, sadness, and confusion). Descriptive results indicate a high percentage of moderate or high intensities of well-being during OMA sessions with little to no ill-being. Paired-sample t-tests comparing OMA vs. traditional visual arts activities showed significantly higher intensity scores for OMA in the domain of engagement and pleasure, as well as significantly lower intensity scores for disengagement. The findings of this exploratory study contribute to the overall discussion about the impact of person-centered, creative-expressive arts activities on people with dementia.
authors: Department of Sociology and Gerontology, Scripps Gerontology Center, Miami University Oxford, OH, USA sauerp@miamioh.edu.
authors: Philip E
authors: PE
authors: Sauer
authors: Department of Nursing, Scripps Gerontology Center, Miami University, Hamilton, OH, USA.
authors: Joan
authors: J
authors: Fopma-Loy
authors: Department of Sociology and Gerontology, Scripps Gerontology Center, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA.
authors: Jennifer M
authors: JM
authors: Kinney
authors: Scripps Gerontology Center, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA.
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Lokon
mesh_terms: D001155:Art Therapy; D003704:Dementia / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D028723:Personhood; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; arts activities; creative self-expression; creativity; dementia; quality of life; video data analysis; well-being