Shared Learning Refresh
The Artful Moments: Shared Learning Refresher reinforces the core concepts from all six modules of the full Artful Moments: Shared Learning program. It is designed for learners who have completed the original training and require a concise, practical refresher.
Module 1: Dementia and Museums
Section 1 of 6
Welcome
Welcome back to Artful Moments: Shared Learning. In this refresher, we begin by revisiting the heart of the program; its philosophy and the unique role museums can play in the lives of people living with dementia. Artful Moments emphasizes connection, creativity, and dignity above finished products or performance. Programs are designed to support wellbeing through person-centered engagement, using art and museum collections as the bridge.
By joining us here, you have once again demonstrated an interest in developing a program within your organization for people living with dementia, inspired by the Art Gallery of Hamilton’s Artful Moments. This refresher module aims to reignite that interest, or fill some gaps since taking the original Shared Learning program. Though this module will review some of the main themes from the program, we encourage you to revisit the full curriculum at any time.
In doing so, you will feel confident in applying knowledge of dementia and adaptive planning to your own collections, exhibitions and programs in a way that understands and supports each participant, using engagement to foster wellbeing.
Knowledge Check 1
Knowledge Check Follow Up
A core principle of Artful Moments is focusing on the person as an individual and their experience rather than a final product or demonstration of learning. The content and collections of the museum are the foundation on which to build an experience, and knowledge of dementia is important to inform how a facilitator works, but neither are the focus of a program.
What is Dementia?
Dementia is a general term for loss of memory, communication skills, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that become severe enough to interfere with daily life. It describes a set of symptoms that can be caused by different illnesses, the most common being Alzheimer’s Disease but also includes several other diseases.
While dementia can have a number of significant impacts on a person’s life and ability, there are also many strengths that remain throughout the course of their life. Some forms of memory, particularly memories formed earlier in their life, creativity, an ability and desire to communicate are all present far into a person’s journey with dementia, and this is why this work is so important – to provide opportunities for connection and to make the most of the abilities and interests of each participant.
- Each person living with dementia is unique. Because their strengths and the impacts that dementia has on each person are different, it is important to get to know them in your work.
Knowledge Check 2
Knowledge Check Follow Up
Inherent in the Model is the idea that all components of a program are essential and interconnected. All must be fully applied to achieve the goal of engagement.
Time spent in leisure and culture is often when our lives are most fulfilling, when we can really be ourselves with friends, family, and people in the community.
Stigma and Unconscious Bias
People living with dementia often face stigma that leads to social isolation. Stigma can also lead to both purposeful acts of discrimination and of unconscious bias – attitudes that one might carry without being fully aware of them or their consequences. These harmful actions and attitudes can also carry over to the families and caregivers of a person with dementia, affecting them as well. When a condition is as prevalent as dementia, but largely misunderstood, it is easy for stigma and unconscious bias to spread.
- Remember that it is important to check your own ideas and attitudes before you begin this work, to identify and correct unconscious biases that you may be carrying.
A Shared Experience
Artful Moments has been connecting with people living with dementia for many years. We’ve tried various approaches and learned a great deal. It may seem that creating a new program for a new audience is a lot of work, especially if you are a smaller organization, and the truth is, IT IS. But there is also some good news! Click the flip cards below to review our key messages for success.
Sharing Exerptise
You don’t have to do it alone.
Adaption, Not Invention
Start with what you already do.
Broad Applications
Apply learning to your setting.
Model for Successful Engagement
Our program design, whether this curriculum or an iteration of Artful Moments for a particular audience group is informed by our Model for Successful Engagement, created based on our practice and evaluation of past programs. Inherent in the Model is the idea that all components of a program are essential and interconnected. All must be fully applied to achieve the goal of engagement.
This model guides all aspects of Artful Moments – from our program design through implementation and even training:
The Museum: Artful Moments is a program built from within each museum, using its assets and creative potential to create a unique, meaningful and specific program.
Participant: In a person-centred program, the understanding of the participant and their particular circumstances – the who – is central. Everything else is built from this knowledge and refers back to it.
Environment: This is the ‘where’ of the program – the physical and social space. A well considered environment must apply the knowledge of the participants to support engagement and respond to individual needs.
Approach: This is ‘how’ we do it. Approach is about communication, facilitation and attitudes. Our approach is customized to suit the needs and abilities of each participant.
Activity: This is ‘what’ we do – the content of conversations and hands-on activities. Well planned activity incorporates knowledge of the participant to support and respond to the participant.
Engagement: This is ‘why’ we do it, the process used by the program to achieve the outcome of wellbeing. We work to capture the interest and attention of participants through experiences that support their abilities, fostering connections and encourage participation in whatever form that takes for each individual.
- Inherent in the Model is the idea that all components of a program are essential and interconnected. Using knowledge of the participant and a responsive, person-centred mindset, all must be fully applied to achieve the goal of engagement.
Conclusion
Museums play a special role in the lives of people living with dementia. You’ve explored the philosophy that guides our work, reflected on the power of museums to foster dignity and connection, and learned how our philosophy combats stigma while supporting people living with dementia. Over time, we hope that you can take what you have learned to support your own program development.
Module 2: Understanding the Participant
Section 2 of 6
Introduction
After a diagnosis of dementia, and as a person experiences changes due to disease progression, it is important to recognize and acknowledge that the person has been, and remains, a valued, productive, contributing member of society. This individual maintains many relationships and roles, including friend, loved one, colleague, caregiver, leader and creative person.
The goal of this Module is for you to understand the impact of dementia on a person and how the changes in the brain that are caused by dementia can affect their participation in an Artful Moments-style program.
A Word about Families & Friends
Artful Moments creates new possibilities for family and friends by allowing them to see the creative side of their loved ones. By working together, participants and the person accompanying them are able to spend time together to engage in activities they both enjoy. This helps to strengthen the relationships between the participants and their family and friends.
The people who join in often get as much out of the program as the participant – they learn, connect and are heard. They share the joy of their loved one, and they talk and laugh together. They can also help to support participation, as a pair of hands, a voice, and a co-creator for activities and questions.
For programs that include friends and family, this is a relationship to embrace.
Leaving Dementia at the Door
As we revisited in Module 1, dementia is a general term for loss of memory, communication skills, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that become severe enough to interfere with daily life. Our knowledge of dementia helps us know what to do when someone might benefit from support, and it helps us to identify potential areas for adjustment, but we don’t use the word dementia during a program or talk about the changes that participants may be experiencing (unless they bring it up).
Instead, we ‘leave dementia at the door’. This means that our knowledge and experience guides us in planning, delivery and troubleshooting, but we don’t talk about it during a program. There are many community opportunities for support groups and caregiving; Artful Moments plays a different part in participants lives. During a program, we simply have a group of participants with us whom we engage with creatively in ways that are meaningful to them. We focus on being supportive, responsive and encouraging just as we would with any other group.
Artful Moments maintains a strong focus on empowering participants to experience creative, social experiences. It is about engagement and wellbeing, separate from a medical model of care.
The visual arts offers a way to communicate beyond words
Abilities Affected by Dementia
Understanding how dementia affects individuals’ abilities helps us support them effectively. Click the five key areas below for a refresher:
Cognition
Cognition
Cognitive skills are interconnected, and most of our functions depend on several of these skills working together. Changes in cognition also impact other areas, such as language, perception, mood and emotion, and physical ability. Some key components of cognition to be aware of are changes in attention, memory, processing speed, judgment, and self-regulation.
Language
Language
Language refers to the understanding and use of a spoken, written, or other communication system. It enables us to express ourselves and understand others. There are several different areas of the brain involved in language, and dementia may impact one’s ability to get the information “in”, which is called ‘receptive language’, and getting information “out”, called ‘expressive language, or both. By adjusting your communication strategies, you can engage with participants even as their use of language changes.
Perception
Perception
Perception refers to the ability for the brain to take in and interpret messages from the body and the environment to give these messages meaning. This affects the way a person with dementia understands and navigates the space and objects around them. Some key components of perception to be aware of are spatial awareness, recognition and mind/body coordination.
Mood & Emotions
Mood & Emotions
Mood generally refers to how a person is feeling over a longer period, while emotions generally describe a feeling at a particular time. A person with dementia may experience changes in their emotional responses leading to social withdrawal, apathy, loneliness, social isolation, and a loss of self-esteem. A program like Artful Moments can play an important role in improving confidence, social connection, and validation.
Physical Abilities
Physical Abilities
Physical abilities refers to the ability to carry out large and small body movements. As dementia progresses, a participant may experience changes ranging from coordination or fine movements such as drawing or using art tools in earlier stages to increased risk of falls or mobility later on. Throughout a participant’s journey there are ways that museum programs can adapt and support a person through these changes to facilitate participation and enjoyment.
- Remember that it is not important for you to label the changes in abilities but rather to understand and recognize them so that you can apply a strategy to help the person engage.
Knowledge Check 1
Knowledge Check Follow Up
Asking a participant if they ever went swimming as a child can be a better way to engage past memories. As memory is affected by dementia, it is often more recently-formed memories that are impacted first.
Using museum objects to connect with a participant’s previous experiences, particularly earlier in life can be a powerful way to create shared experience and social connection. Travels, hobbies or memories of home can all spark great conversations. Asking questions that require specific memory-based answers (your name, a date, something they saw or heard earlier) require short term memory and new learning that might have been affected by the changes happening in the person’s brain.
Inherent in the Model is the idea that all components of a program are essential and interconnected. All must be fully applied to achieve the goal of engagement.
Activating Strengths
While it is important to balance out the abilities that are affected negatively by dementia with adaptations and supports, an important idea in an Artful Moments-style program is to focus on and activate abilities that each participant continues to have. Many abilities are retained long after a diagnosis of dementia, and through emphasizing these strengths, we can foster positive feelings, independence, and wellbeing. Some of them are:
- Long-term, procedural, recognition, and emotional memory
- Social Skills
- Emotional Awareness
- Sense of Humour
- Music Appreciation
- Reading
- Creativity
- Strengths remain in all areas of the brain, including cognition, language, perception, physical abilities, and mood. With an understanding of dementia and its impact, a facilitator will learn to recognize each participant’s strengths and abilities.
Knowledge Check 2:
Knowledge Check Follow Up
Demonstrating and explaining steps one at a time while leaving time to process that information and to complete each step supports many changes that a participant might be experiencing – from supporting memory changes by not having to remember a whole activity at once, to difficulties in knowing which step to do first or how to start. When necessary, working with someone individually to help them is a great way to ensure everyone can participate. We aim to encourage independence and creativity, so taking over is not the best option.
The Person Comes First
Always remember, each participant you encounter is unique. They have a life story full of experiences, relationships and knowledge gained over a lifetime and it is important to keep this in the forefront of any interactions with others. Everyone will bring their own ideas and interpretations to a work of art, a museum collection or an outdoor space, and a program like Artful Moments has the unique privilege of connecting with each person’s story through conversation and hands-on activities.
While dementia may impact a participant’s ability to communicate in the same way they used to, it does not change their need to connect with others, to communicate, to feel a sense of belonging, and to share love and friendship. Every participant wants to feel hopeful, to feel valued and respected, and to feel understood. Each participant wants to be productive in a meaningful way, to be useful and successful, to contribute to society, and to be inspired.
Knowledge Check 3:
Knowledge Check Follow Up
As a person living with dementia experiences changes in their abilities related to moods and emotions, they may display less of their emotional state. This means that even when they are enjoying an experience, they may not smile or show the emotion you might expect. We know this participant is engaged because they are participating by answering questions and listening to others.
Remember that participation and engagement can be communicated in many different ways, both obvious and more subtle. Observation and getting to know each of your participants is the key!
Conclusion
Art and museum collections offer opportunities to tap into personal connections for participants, whether memories of earlier moments in their lives, loved ones or their own interests. They provide sensory enjoyment, and opportunities to experience new and interesting things. Sharing these moments encourages social experiences, and allows for many different forms of expression, for every participant, regardless of their level of ability, prior experiences with museums, or diagnosis. This is why we do this – to make the most of abilities that are present.
Module 3: Understanding the Environment
Section 3 of 6
Introduction
A well (or poorly) designed environment will have a direct impact on the participant’s experience in a program and their ability to engage. When the environment is set up to support each participant’s abilities, it makes those activities comfortable and enjoyable. Social connection occurs when interactions happen naturally.
We strive to create a dementia-friendly environment within our spaces, encompassing physical factors, social and organizational culture, and the way we design and implement programs. We also accomplish this by applying our knowledge of dementia to our process, and by including the voices, opinions, and advice of people with lived experience with dementia in our design and planning, decision-making, evaluation and even presentation.
The goal for this module is for you to learn how to apply your knowledge of dementia to create a program environment that maximizes the safety, accessibility, and comfort of your participants and facilitators in order to promote engagement and wellbeing.
What Do We Mean by Environment?
For our purposes, we have defined ‘the environment’ as the overall museum site that participants experience from the time they arrive at the entrance (or even in the parking area) until the time they leave, and all the circumstances that exist within it. Within a museum site, there will be multiple smaller environments, such as exhibition spaces, studios, activity spaces, and even the main entrance or greeting area, each with its own unique conditions and accommodations to consider. We consider ‘the environment’ in four realms. Each of these environments acts as a layer in the experience and will combine to affect how a participant feels and engages. Click each below to learn more:
Physical
Physical
This includes everything from how your participants get into your site to the ways they navigate through exhibition and activity spaces. Within a physical environment, there are many aspects of your program planning that you will be able to adjust to suit the specific abilities and needs of your participants.
Sensory
Sensory
The two biggest sensory challenges in a museum are comfort and distraction. Comfort may include temperature, lighting and glare, or even changes in conditions moving from one space to another. Distractions may come from the sound of exhibitions, other people in the space, or even the density of visual information.
Social
Social
The social environment focuses on how the participant feels in the museum, and as part of a group of participants. The participant’s perception of how welcome or safe they feel, the attitudes and communication they experience from staff and other guests, and the degree to which they feel their needs and abilities have been considered all have an impact.
Virtual
Virtual
Programs may take place online, with screen-based platforms for sharing images, objects and activity demonstrations. They can also be offered by phone, using conference call technology, and printed resources. Virtual programs can eliminate barriers such as accessibility and travel, while also adding unique opportunities like connecting people over great distances.
Start with an Assessment
Have you completed your assessment yet? Becoming aware of the conditions present in your environment is an important first step in building your program. This is your first opportunity to apply what you have learned about dementia to your own space. There are a lot of changes and abilities to consider, which is why we approach this process step by step.
Remember, your assessment should look at the physical, sensory, social and virtual environments. You probably know your site well, but it is still a good idea to walk around and look closely. There may be things that you have never noticed, and many that you have already adapted to without thinking about it.
Knowledge Check 1
Knowledge Check Follow Up
The 4 realms of environment that should be assessed in program design are:
- Physical
- Sensory
- Social
- Virtual
Entrance, Lobby and Parking
While a small part of your actual program, ‘pre-program’ spaces like the entrance, lobby and parking can be very complex. They can impact the rest of your program, influencing whether your participants feel comfortable and safe or flustered and anxious. But be sure to consider all aspects of your participants’ arrival. Some considerations include:
- Where will the participant park or be dropped off?
- Is the entrance clearly marked and easy to find?
- Is there a process to get in (particularly during non-public hours)?
- What happens once they have come through the doors?
Knowledge Check 2
Knowledge Check Follow Up
It is important to provide clear, one-step instructions to participants before their first visit, as this helps them feel confident and relaxed upon arrival.
It should include the address and phone number, the dates and times of the program, parking information, and instructions on how to enter and gather. Tell them if a greeter will be present. Be clear and concise and include pictures where useful.
Art should be taught to everyone. It's better than many medications and is as important as mathematics or history.
Exhibitions and Displays
This is where your museum’s ‘content’ is displayed, and where most of your public programming probably takes place. This is likely also the environment that is the least flexible, and where you will need to adapt your program to suit, rather than the other way around. When assessing your exhibition space, ask yourself some questions:
- What can I see, hear, smell?
- Where can I sit?
- How easy or hard is it to get around on foot? To find my way back?
- How easy or hard is it to navigate in a wheelchair? With a cane?
- How comfortable am I?
- Social connection and engagement will increase or decrease based on how you physically set up your program environment and how you approach facilitation. The space will affect how easily the group can express and validate ideas, opinions and observations.
Adapting to Challenging Sites
For museums in older buildings, locations with outdoor sites, and many other unique situations, exhibitions can be difficult to access for people who cannot easily climb stairs, travel long distances, navigate rough terrain, or for those who use mobility devices. For programs for persons with dementia, think about your existing strategies and see what applies or can be adapted to suit. Ask yourself:
- If the exhibition space is not accessible, is there another space that is?
- If we can’t see the collection in the home, can we bring selected historical items to another location? Do you have a teaching or handling collection?
- Do you have digital options?
- How can you supplement what you have to add to the experience?
Knowledge Check 3
Knowledge Check Follow Up
It’s best to avoid trying to see everything at once. Instead, plan your session around a smaller area or single room, allowing participants to focus and engage meaningfully without being overwhelmed.
All the other options support comfort, accessibility, and reduced distractions for people living with dementia.
Studios and Workshops
The third location or environment to consider in your assessment and planning is your activity space. This may be a studio, a workshop, a kitchen or a lab, or any number of other spaces where people can make things, or try their hands at an interactive, exploratory activity.
Activity spaces are where participants may work, but they are often also places where tools and materials are used, demonstrated and stored, where participants are provided with opportunities to touch things and explore materials, and where the social atmosphere can be more casual. As with other spaces, spend some time in your own activity space and ask yourself some questions. Consider the following:
- Physical ability and comfort – things like seating, tables, access to materials, and the accessibility of the space to people with mobility needs.
- Sensory changes such as sensitivity to light, sound, smells, clutter and other distractions.
- Safety – in terms of tools and materials, and as a space with potentially more clutter and obstacles.
The Social Environment
The participant’s perception of how welcome or safe they feel, whether they feel empowered and supported, the attitudes and communication they experience from staff and other guests, and the degree to which they feel their needs and abilities have been considered all affect the success of the social environment. Create a safe and welcoming social environment through:
- Education and Training
- Personal Connections
- Fostering Social Connection and Relationship Building, and
- Organizational Attitudes and Growth
Virtual Programs
Virtual programs for people living with dementia offer opportunities for engagement and connection from the comfort of their own homes. They eliminate barriers such as accessibility and distance, while adding unique opportunities like connecting people over great distances using technology. Many aspects of the physical, sensory and social environments that have already been discussed still apply to the virtual environment, while others are less important in this context.
Supporting Virtual Participants
To ensure the success of a virtual program, you’ll need to think carefully about your environment and your organization before and during your program. In some ways your personal environment offers a great deal more control than other environments we’ve discussed, but since everyone is connecting remotely, and potentially in an unfamiliar format, you’ll need to ensure that all details have been carefully considered to maximize the success and social connectivity of your program.
Consider how you will provide instructions to those participants joining the program either on their computer or by phone and make some general recommendations.
Knowledge Check 4
Knowledge Check Follow Up
Virtual programs for people living with dementia offer opportunities for engagement and connection from the comfort of participants’ homes, and eliminate barriers such as accessibility and distance.
Planning for Participation
Programs like Artful Moments are centred around social connection and a lot of interaction. We ask and answer questions, we share opinions, and we remember or relate what we see to our own lives. This requires trust, camaraderie, and time for everyone to speak.
Your overall goal for your program will influence your decision on how big or small your group should be. Are you looking for a modified tour experience that will offer opportunities to engage with art and museum objects? Or do you hope to build community, social connection and friendship? For a very intimate, relationship-building program, smaller is better. For a program that may be more facilitator-led with less interaction, the group can be larger.
No one knows your place better than you. Adapting to suit an audience is not new, and your past experiences and your newly acquired knowledge will fuel your own creative solutions. Change the space, the location, the format or the type of program you offer. There is always a solution.
Conclusion
A well-planned environment is one of three important pillars that is informed by your knowledge of dementia and will support the engagement of your participants. Hopefully you have seen your museum with fresh eyes and are beginning to see the exciting possibilities to come.
Module 4: Understanding Approach
Section 4 of 6
Introduction
There are many factors to consider when you plan interactions with participants, including the changes in abilities caused by dementia that each person may experience, their comfort and familiarity with museums and your site specifically, the type of activities that you have planned, and their individual preferences and communication styles. But most importantly, in is crucial to keep the individual in the forefront. Each person is unique, and your approach to them should reflect that.
The goal of this module is to help you understand what ‘engagement’ and ‘wellbeing’ mean within the context of museum programs. You’ll learn how to foster engagement by applying your knowledge of dementia and the impact of environment, approach, and activity, which will enhance the participant’s wellbeing.
What Do We Mean by Approach?
Approach refers to a way of doing or thinking about something, including the way we communicate, facilitate, demonstrate, and plan. Because of the changes in abilities that a person with dementia may experience, an informed and responsive approach is essential to ensure participation, comfort, and engagement in the activities.
In Artful Moments, our approach incorporates knowledge of dementia to facilitate a positive and individualized experience for each participant. Click the flip cards below to reveal the areas that this supportive approach to communication and facilitation is designed to support and encourage confidence in:
- Participation. How can we understand and support each participant’s ability to enjoy and contribute to the program?
- Understanding. What strategies can you use to best communicate with the participants in a way that supports their cognition?
- Self-expression. What strategies you can use to support participants’ communication?
- Social Connection. How can we best support the connections between staff and participants, their family or friend, and others?
What Is a Person-Centred Approach?
A person-centred approach places the participant first in every aspect of the program, from design, to presentation, and even evaluation. A person-centred approach means focusing on each person’s individuality, interests, histories, and abilities rather than on their diagnosis and the changes and losses that result from it. Being person-centred means being attentive and responsive while using individualized strategies for each participant in a manner that supports their unique strengths.
Understanding Your Presence
A person with dementia retains their emotional awareness and their ability to sense and understand the emotional state of others. This includes being able to read the non-verbal messages communicated through facial expression, body position, body tension, tone of voice, and mood. Your participants will sense if you are rushed, distracted or stressed. They will sense your emotional state, and your demeanor will affect the mood of the program.
-
Check Yourself at the Door
Before you begin a program, remember to pause and check your own emotional state. Take a moment to breathe, put aside any frustrations, anxiety, or disturbance you may be carrying with you from the rest of your day. Smile, slow down and begin in a positive frame of mind.
Listen, Observe, Be Interested
As a facilitator, your approach must be grounded in paying attention to the participants. Listen to what they say and watch their non-verbal communication. Some participants may not be able to tell you with words if they do not understand, if they are having trouble communicating, or if they are uncomfortable or tired. By observing each person’s verbal and non-verbal communication (or lack of), physical and emotional state, and their comfort in participating, you will be able to adapt to suit their needs. Respond to the specific experience and ideas of each person in your group and build the experience as you go.
Be Patient, Be Flexible, Be Responsive
A person with dementia’s abilities continue to change. For some, understanding information and formulating a response (verbal or action) can take some time. Leave time for participants to process information and act. Learn when to wait and when to gently support them – It is important to be comfortable with pauses.
Being prepared with a good plan is important but be prepared to adjust as you go. What worked before may not work in the moment, and your flexibility to adapt your plans to suit the needs of your participants will allow participation to continue. Responding to the conditions in the moment with sensitivity and creativity can be the difference between a positive experience and a negative one.
Knowledge Check 1
Knowledge Check Follow Up
Listening and observing allow facilitators to recognize verbal and non-verbal cues, which is essential for adapting the program to support each participant’s engagement and comfort.
Supporting Participation
Participation is the act of joining with others in doing something. In a program like Artful Moments, participation could include familiar actions like asking or answering questions, as well as indications that are more subtle, such as laughing at a funny comment, a smile, a nod in response to something they heard, or even giving you their attention. It may be raising their hand or giving a ‘thumbs-up’ to something they agree with. It may be listening or taking note of something that they heard or saw. For some it is simply being present, in the company of other people.
For someone living with dementia, participation can be many things, both active and more subtle. With changes in ability comes the need to support (and observe) participation in a variety of ways. To foster participation, it is first important to establish trust, comfort and a safe space for people to feel that they can take risks in joining a program or activity. These beginning steps include:
- Building relationships with participants
- Creating a safe and welcoming space, and
- Setting expectations and social norms
Effective Communication
Remember that you can and should modify your communication to maximize the participant’s understanding or comprehension and their ability to express themselves. Click the accordion dropdowns below to review some tips in each of these areas:
Support Understanding
- Use familiar words and plain language
- Try to use specific nouns for objects, places, and people
- Avoid distracting movements like swaying, fiddling with hands or pacing
- When sharing information or ideas, use shorter sentences
- Give instructions and ask questions in one- or two-steps
- Give time to process information before continuing
Support Expression
- Be patient and show that YOU are engaged
- Adjust your questions to support each participant’s level of expression
- Remain relaxed and in the moment
- Focus on eye contact and gaze, facial expressions, tone of voice, and gestures
- Pause and give time to process and compose their thoughts
General Strategies
- When asking questions, say the person’s name first, and make eye contact
- Explain what you are going to do before you do it
- When speaking, use an adult tone and adult vocabulary
- Speak clearly, and at a slightly slower pace
- Avoid phrases like ‘can you’. Instead use terms like ‘try’, or direct instructions
- Avoid asking if a participant ‘remembers’
Four Kinds of Questions
The types of questions you ask can have a huge impact on your participants’ engagement and ability to participate. Click the buttons below to review four different kinds of questions that you should be aware of:
1. Open Questions
Open Questions
Open questions can be answered in a variety of ways and don’t have a single, correct answer. These are useful to encourage people to share in whatever way they are able but can also be difficult for some participants to process and respond to.
2. Closed Questions
Closed Questions
Closed questions have a targeted answer, such as yes or no, or selecting between two choices. For some, these questions can limit conversation and creative thought, but they can also be useful for someone who has difficulty finding words or processing a more complex answer.
3. Leading Questions
Leading Questions
In between are leading questions, where there are multiple answers that will work, but participants are guided in the ways that they might answer.
4. Supporting Questions
Supporting Questions
A supported question is one that helps the participant to be successful in sharing their own ideas and opinions in a way that works for them. It provides enough space for individuality, but still accommodates their abilities as much as needed.
Do’s and Don’ts of Effective Questions
Things to Do
Do
- Ask only one question at a time, wait until the answers are given before adding a follow-up.
- Leave space and quiet for participant to process, and respond
- Listen to the answers and offer positive encouragement and feedback.
- Repeat or paraphrase answers to help others hear and understand.
- Adjust questions from one participant to another to match abilities.
- Ask a variety of types of questions, with different types of responses.
- Repeat questions as needed, sometimes for each person you call on.
Things Not to Do
Don't
- Ask fact-based questions or questions with only one correct answer
- Ask recall questions – whether recalling from previous conversations, or from past experiences
- Argue with participants or correct their answers
- Rush or jump in too quickly to over-explain or fill silences.
Knowledge Check 2
Knowledge Check Follow Up
Fact-based or memory-based questions or those with only one “correct” answer can cause stress or confusion for participants with dementia.
A Shared Experience
Family members, friends, or other companions are an important part of a person with dementia’s participation in a program like Artful Moments. Remember as well that while not every participant needs extra support from bringing someone else with them, for many having a friend or family member working with them in a shared experience adds to their success and enjoyment.
Remember to be gentle with the friends and family who attend your programs. They are managing many demands and are often navigating a lot of complex feelings and circumstances with someone they care for. They can also be both a source and a victim of stigma as well.
Conclusion
Approach is an art. While there are general techniques and skills to learn, the way you apply those skills will be unique to each participant and each moment. As you master these techniques, you will be able to respond to each person you encounter in a way that supports and encourages them in a perfectly suited way. Rely on your observation and intuition to guide you and you will begin to see that these techniques can be used in any program. And always remember that you can revisit Module 4: Understanding Approach at any time for a more in-depth review of the various techniques, strategies and skills.
Module 5: Understanding Activity
Section 5 of 6
Introduction
Activities are the heart of a museum educator’s and facilitator’s work. Through our activities we bridge the participants’ experience from the objects and exhibitions to the individual connections that each participant will make.
The goal for this Module is for you to be able to plan and facilitate museum-based conversations about your exhibitions and collections as well as meaningful hands-on activities that support and adapt to the abilities of participants.
What Do We Mean by Activity?
The activities in a program are the things we do with our participants. You already have program activities that make use of your collections, exhibitions and knowledge for a variety of audiences. It is important to remember that the programs that you will develop for people living with dementia are not necessarily new activities.
Our success has come from a combination of two kinds of activities: Conversations about art and objects, which commonly may be referred to as museum tours or art appreciation, and hands-on activities or art making.
Why is Interactivity Important?
Interactive programs, when done well, can be engaging and enjoyable for anyone, but as we reflect on what we have learned about the changes that a person with dementia may experience, we begin to understand that using traditional educational methods may impact the experiences the participant can have. In our programs, we ask questions and support participants in understanding and expressing themselves. We present art and objects in a way that is meaningful and engaging.
We provide opportunities to make something and do something in a way that capitalizes on strengths and supports abilities. The activities themselves are just one part of the equation in supporting participants through a successful experience, but they are also the reason for having a program in the first place.
Knowledge Check 1
Knowledge Check Follow Up
Interactive programs support engagement by encouraging expression and participation in a variety of ways, which are essential elements when working with people living with dementia.
Because of the changes in ability that participants may experience in their cognition, language, perception, physical ability or mood and emotions, traditional methods may not provide the same level of accessibility or connection.
Process over Product
We focus on the process and the experience rather than a final product or demonstration of learning. Artful Moments is not a ‘content-centred’ education program driven by the acquisition of new knowledge or skills. It is not focused on facts, technical ability or expectation of specific, predefined production. Instead, as a ‘person-centred’ program, we use art and objects as tools to spark conversation, to inspire social sharing, and to provide enjoyable activities that allow each participant to express themselves in whatever manner they are able. We focus on enjoying the process – of looking, of sharing and of making something inspired by the day’s experiences.
The Artful Moments Philosophy in Action
All of our activities apply the Artful Moments philosophy. We emphasize the enjoyment of the process while prioritizing social connection and engagement. We work hard to build an openness in the direction and content in each session while stressing adaptation and responsiveness. Click the flip cards to below to reveal what activities should strive to be:
open to self-expression and creativity.
meaningful and with purpose.
relaxing and fun.
safe.
Plan for everything but be prepared for anything.
Two Types of Activities
There are two types of activities that are always connected in our programs; one leading into and informing the other. The strategies used for each however, and the potential areas of difficulty can be different. By carefully considering your activities and becoming familiar and comfortable with the strategies, you will find yourself being more confident and able to smoothly adjust within your program. Click the accordion dropdowns below to review conversations and hands-on activities.
Conversations
Conversations suggests a sharing of ideas, a back-and-forth approach and a pleasurable experience. Our experience is meant to have a slower-paced and more expansive exploration of the work. We do not use scripts, and as with any good conversation, our ideas may take us in a variety of directions. There is no fast-paced highlights tour in our program, and we don’t rush through the exhibitions to see as much as possible.
Hands-on Activities
Hands-on activities complete the cycle of learning and experience – from looking, thinking, discussing, and finally responding or creating. Making something is another way of learning, or in this case of experiencing. Doing an activity together is also a great relationship-builder. Participants who attend with a friend or family member will share their experience, and can work together in a variety of ways, depending on the participant’s abilities. They can laugh together, remember earlier times and take pleasure in their work. The hands-on also offers bonding between participants who are all trying something together.
- Try including a moment for participants to share their work at the end of each session. Let them admire each other’s creations, with no obligation to share if they prefer not to. Offering positive feedback and encouragement makes participants feel accomplished and included and makes a great point of social connection.
Knowledge Check 2
Knowledge Check Follow Up
When selecting the objects to base your conversations around you should use a person-centred lens and consider subject matter, appearance, sensitivity, triggers, abilities, and location.
Reflections and Debriefs
Having completed a session, it is a great idea to reflect and make notes about the successes and difficulties. Your own reflections about the objects you chose for a session, the observations and discussion of participants, as well as their engagement and results from the hands-on activities will inform your development as a facilitator and your future selections for programs. If you can share program delivery with others, their observations will be equally valuable. Having community partners involved with expertise in your audience is a great opportunity for coaching and ongoing development.
Conclusion
Like everything else, finding the balance in content, adaptation and delivery will take time and practice. Some activities will go very well… and some may not. Pay attention, reflect on your successes and challenges and you will find that it becomes a natural way to work. The activities you offer will be unique to your museum, your collections and exhibitions, and your staff. This is what makes your program special.
Module 6: Engagement and Wellbeing
Section 6 of 6
Introduction
This Module is the culmination of all your work so far. This means understanding what happens in your program when you have activated the knowledge you have gathered into an experience that fully supports each person’s abilities and adapts to the changes they may be experiencing because of their dementia.
The goal for this Module is for you to understand what ‘engagement’ and ‘wellbeing’ mean within the context of museum programs. You will understand how to foster engagement by applying your understanding of dementia, and the impact of environment, approach, and activity, thereby enhancing the participant’s wellbeing.
Key terms
Click the accordion dropdowns below to review the definitions of engagement and wellbeing – our two key measures of this module:
Engagement
Engagement is to capture the attention or interest of a participant. It is about connections with the social and physical environment and can include active participation in an activity. In this context, we must always look for engagement through observable actions – things that you can see a participant doing (or not doing), rather than impressions about what we may think participants feel. (Cohen-Mansfield et al., 2009) When working with people living with dementia, remember that in a person-centred approach we aim to provide experiences for participants that have relevance and importance to them.
Wellbeing
Wellbeing describes a positive state that can include things like health, happiness or satisfaction, connection, meaningful engagement, and many more ideas. Wellbeing is not based on a single concept, and it is not a fixed or permanent state. It is about achieving balance in many dimensions at once, and it changes from one moment to the next based on internal or external influences. For this reason, we talk about enhancing or improving wellbeing – to affect a positive shift in a person’s state rather than just achieve wellbeing as an end. (Clarke et al., 2020; Falk, 2022)
Living in the Moment
By engaging the participant ‘in the moment’, memory demands on the participant are reduced thereby maximizing the participants ability to engage. For some participants, each session is a singular experience and memories from previous sessions should not be relied upon.
As the facilitator, this means planning, acting, and reflecting on individual experiences from one moment to the next, rather than over a longer period. Avoid the need for participants to remember previous sessions. Encourage each person’s abilities and supporting the changes they experience to make the moment they are in the best it can be. Living in the moment means empowerment, respect and validation for the participant.
There are many signs that participants are connecting with you, each other and the objects and space where you are gathered.
Click the flip cards below to review signs that you should pay attention to gauge a participant’s level of engagement:
Eye Contact
Facial Expression
Body Language
Actions
Mood
Communication
Engagement with Art and Objects
Engagement with museum collections can have significant benefits for people living with dementia. This is true whether the experience involves looking at and discussing art and objects or creating art or other hands-on expressions of their ideas and interests. Museum objects can be used as a vehicle for meaningful self-expression. Indeed, engagement with these objects, through close looking, discussion, and hands-on response offers a person with dementia the chance to:
- Explore and exchange ideas about art, objects, artists, periods of history, natural history
- Experience intellectual stimulation and the enjoyment of learning activities
- Make connections between personal stories and the world at large
- Access personal experiences and long-term memories
- Participate in a meaningful activity that fosters personal growth
Knowledge Check 1
Knowledge Check Follow Up
A facilitator should not continue the group activity without first acknowledging and supporting a disengaged participant.
This can often be accomplished in a very short time, without impacting the experience of others, but can make a significant improvement for the person.
Rushing ahead can worsen disconnection.
Wellbeing: An Artful Moments Definition
The Artful Moments definition of wellbeing is based on participants’ feedback, our experiences, our knowledge of dementia, and research from the field. It is also based on the Artful Moments philosophy and the program as a whole. To us, wellbeing is defined by:
- Connecting with others
- Feeling fulfilled
- Having meaningful experiences
- Being active
- Feeling recharged, and
- Contributing
Conclusion
Once again, thank you so much for joining us in Artful Moments: Shared Learning. Creating this program has been a labour of love for all of us, and we are honoured that you have spent this time with us.
Don’t forget that the resources and full courses are always available to continue building your ideas and troubleshoot any challenges that occur. Remember that this curriculum provides all of the information you need to get started, and you can always come back to review sections as you go. Take small steps and build on them. Find your own way to create the program that is right for you, your museum, and your participants.
It will be worth it.