Sensing Our Past Creative sessions at Musgrove Park Hospital

Our project aims To explore how creative practitioners can use their particular skills to stimulate new kinds of communication and engagement with patients with dementia. To build a clearer picture of patients with dementia as unique individuals with likes and dislikes, skills, experience and a rich life story, whilst offering a pleasurable, entertaining and endorsing interlude during their day.

The facts Project delivery was from 23/4/13-11/7/13 Project Co-ordination was carried out by Art for Life’s Art and Design Co-ordinator 14 Sessions were delivered 3 Care of the Elderly wards were worked with 33 Participants took part 10 Staff were directly involved (4 Occupational Therapists, 4 Ward Managers & 2 Nursing staff) An estimated 30 Ward staff were indirectly involved An estimated 30 Carers and other patients were indirectly involved

3 artists a storyteller, a singer and a visual artist

The questions we wanted to ask, how and of whom? For the patients - Have we learnt more about the patient as an individual? Are the patients happier and calmer because of doing this activity? What has been added to the patients’ hospital experience? Is it better or worse? For the staff - Have the staff learnt new things that can be incorporated into their everyday work with the patients? Have the staff changed their practice in anyway as a result of this project? What challenges they perceive to working in this way within a ward setting? Have the sessions improved your communication with the patients? For the artists - Have the artists learnt, changed and/or extended their practice, and in what ways? What challenges do they perceive in working in this way in an acute hospital setting?

The challenges The hospital environment Communication Understanding Points of contact Support Debriefing and feeding back

Feedback and observations Communication between patients Patients becoming more settled and less anxious Fun and laughter on the wards Stimulating a wealth of stories Doing something different Involving family members and carers

Artists’ journals R- Didn’t respond much to begin with, but was listening to the recorder playing. He was following and attentive during the story. He made a sign with good humour, to the nurses that I was ‘mad’ at one point that brought about a lot of laughter. He joined in with the sound of the fireworks/ shooting stars and the coyote howling and made the sound of an owl when I asked him if he could. He commented “That was brilliant” after I’d played the recorder. I was told by Tracy and Kirsty that he was having a good day, had enjoyed the session and doesn’t get involved with something when he doesn’t want to.

To finish……. “It’s remarkable how saying hello and introducing yourself very briefly can lead to such a life story. It makes me feel very honoured and trusted to hear these accounts and memories, that are given by the speaker with so much generosity. The kindness, warmth, honesty and trust that I’ve been shown has been very humbling”. Michael Loader, artist and storyteller

Thank you