Is a Visual Arts Programme Beneficial for the Quality of Life of People Living With Dementia?

Individual Symposium Abstract (Required; Limit 150 Words) : Dementia and Imagination is large multi-disciplinary research collaboration bringing together arts and science to address current evidence limitations around the benefits of visual art activities in dementia care. N=126 participants were recruited from residential care homes, NHS wards and communities in England and Wales, with dementia ranging from early to advanced. A visual arts intervention was developed and delivered as 1 x 2 hour weekly group session for 3 months. Longitudinal mixed-methods obtained quantitative (including standardised measures of quality of life and communication) and qualitative data (participants’ perceptions, memories and experiences) at three time-points. Integrated data analysis examine the impact on the quality of life of people living with dementia, exploring how the qualitative themes explain the quantitative findings, and variation according to the stage of dementia. After this session participants will be familiar with integrated data analysis and the strengths and limitations of different approaches to data collection.