Tech and Touch: Blending Virtual Sessions with In-Person for People Living with Dementia

Adaptations and tips for hybrid delivery of wellness programmes using Artful Moments methodology.

A Connected World

As our world has grown more connected through screens and devices, the way we deliver meaningful wellbeing experiences has also shifted.

Virtual sessions are now a well-established part of the Artful Moments landscape and for good reason.

For people living with dementia who face barriers to attending in-person groups, a phone call, a Zoom session, or a carefully assembled art kit delivered to the door can be the difference between isolation and genuine creative connection.

But hybrid delivery — blending the virtual with the in-person — brings its own set of questions. How do we ensure the experience feels warm, not clinical?

How do we keep participants engaged when a screen separates us?

How do we involve the caregivers and family members who are so often the invisible backbone of daily life for people living with dementia?

This article draws on insights from Module 6 of our Engagement and Wellbeing course to help practitioners think through the practicalities and the possibilities of delivering Artful Moments programmes across different formats.

Why Hybrid Matters

For many people living with dementia, experiences outside the home can sometimes become less frequent. Transportation can be difficult. Unfamiliar environments can cause anxiety. Health fluctuations mean some days a group outing is simply not possible. Virtual and hybrid delivery doesn’t replace the warmth of a physical gathering — but it extends our reach in profound ways.

A hybrid approach recognises that engagement doesn’t require everyone to be in the same room at the same time. It allows us to meet people where they are, whether that’s a care home lounge, a kitchen table at home, or a quiet corner of a family member’s sitting room. Done well, it honours the person’s preference, ability, and pace; core values at the heart of the Artful Moments methodology.

Art Kits: The Heart of Remote Delivery

One of the most effective tools for remote and hybrid Artful Moments sessions is the art kit — a curated collection of materials sent ahead of the session so that participants have everything they need to engage fully, without anyone needing to gather supplies on the day.

What to include

Art kits should be thoughtfully assembled with simplicity and safety in mind. Consider:

Mark-making tools that are easy to hold and won’t frustrate — chunky crayons, broad felt-tip pens, soft pastels, or foam-handled brushes
Paper in a generous size (A3 works well) that doesn’t slide around — you can pre-tape it to a backing board for stability
A colour palette that is curated rather than overwhelming — four to six colours is often enough to spark creativity without causing decision fatigue
Any theme-specific materials that connect to the session’s focus, such as textured papers, collage images, or simple stamps
A written or picture-based prompt card that participants (or their caregivers) can refer to before the session begins or to continue working after the session ends.
Labels on any materials that may be less familiar to make it easier for participants to find the right things.
Large, good quality colour reproductions of any art or objects to be discussed. This can add a layer of choice for on-screen participants and is essential for phone-based programs.

Keep instructions on the kit itself brief and visual. A small card with a friendly image and one or two sentences — “Today we’re making marks with colour. There’s no wrong way to do this.” — can set a calm and inviting tone before the session even starts.

Logistics and gallery pickup

Where participants are able to travel, gallery or hub pickup of art kits offers a beautiful dual purpose: it provides a reason to leave the house, creates a sense of occasion, and often opens a brief but meaningful social exchange. A kit collected in person feels like a gift — because it is.

For those who cannot collect in person, kits can be posted or delivered by a carer, volunteer, or family member. Build in enough lead time so participants have the kit at least two to three days before the session — this allows participant to familiarise themselves with the materials, and gives them time to feel curious about what’s inside.

After the session, consider asking participants (or their family member or friend) to send a photograph of what they’ve made. Creating a simple digital or printed gallery of work — even just shared via email or on a noticeboard — gives people a sense of being seen and celebrated.

Running Sessions via Zoom, Teams, or Phone

Each platform offers something different, and the right choice will depend on your participants, their support networks, and the technology available to them.

Zoom and Microsoft Teams: Video platforms allow facilitators to see participants, which matters enormously in dementia-aware practice. You can observe body language, notice discomfort or confusion, and respond with warmth in real time.
A few adaptations make a significant difference:
Send links and simple instructions the day before every session. This saves people from having to seek out links, or remember how and when to access the session.
Keep it simple on screen. A plain, uncluttered background helps participants focus on you and the activity rather than being distracted or overwhelmed. Avoid using the gallery view with many faces on screen at once — for some people living with dementia, this can feel disorienting. Where possible, use Speaker View so only one face is prominent at a time.
Use large, clear visual prompts. If you’re sharing images or artwork as inspiration, ensure they are high contrast and fill the screen. Avoid busy, detailed images with small text. The Artful Moments library of artwork and nature photography is particularly well-suited to this.
Build in breathing room. Pauses feel longer on screen than in person, and that’s all right. Don’t rush to fill silences. Allow time for participants to look, to respond, to make a mark.
Designate a co-facilitator where possible. In a hybrid or virtual group, having a second person to manage technical issues, monitor the chat, or simply keep an eye on individual participants frees the lead facilitator to do what they do best — engage with people.
Record sessions with consent. A recording can be a gift for a participant who wishes to watch back with a family member, or for a facilitator who wants to reflect on their practice. Always obtain clear, informed consent beforehand.
Phone sessions: Don’t underestimate the phone. For participants who find screens difficult or who lack reliable Wi-Fi, a simple phone call can be remarkably effective. Voice carries warmth, humour, and reassurance in ways that transcend technology. There are a variety of conference-call platforms that offer advanced controls for facilitators while still providing a simple phone-based experience for participants. If you can find a service that allows you to call participants directly, that is a great support for them!

For phone-based art sessions, descriptive language becomes your primary tool. Walk the participant through what they’re touching, seeing, and making. Use sensory prompts: “Can you feel how soft the pastel is? Try dragging it slowly across the paper.” Ask open questions and listen generously.

Build in time to discuss the process. Facilitators have to call of people by name to invite participation, and to keep people from all talking at once. Let people know what to do when they are called, and how to pass if they don’t wish to speak.

Phone sessions also work beautifully in a one-to-one format, and for some participants — particularly those in the moderate to later stages of dementia — the intimacy of a single voice is far less overwhelming than a group on screen.

Family and Friend Involvement: A Partnership, Not a Workaround

Program partners, whether family members, care home staff, or paid support workers — are not simply logistics. In hybrid and remote Artful Moments delivery, they become genuine partners in the creative experience.

Before the session: Brief everyone in advance. A short email, voice note, or printed sheet explaining what the session involves, what materials are included in the art kit, and any simple set-up they can help with goes a long way. Remind them that the session is about enjoyment and engagement, not about producing a finished product. This framing matters — participants who feel relaxed and informed pass that ease on to the person they support.

During the session: Program partners should feel welcome to sit alongside participants — not to direct or correct, but to be a calm, encouraging presence. Some may wish to join in with their own mark-making, and this can be a lovely way to share the experience. Others may prefer to step back and let the participant engage independently with the facilitator’s voice.

If a participant becomes unsure what to do, a caregiver can gently re-read the prompt card or simply say, “Let’s just see what this brush does on the paper.” The aim is to keep the moment light and forward-moving.

After the session: Program partners can help sustain the creative moment by displaying finished artwork, taking a photo, or simply talking about what was made. Asking “What colours did you choose?” or “What does this one make you think of?” in the hours after a session can extend the engagement and reinforce a sense of accomplishment.

Acknowledge and appreciate everyone’s contributions explicitly. A simple thank-you — in a session, in an email, or in a newsletter — matters more than we might realise.

Making the Experience Meaningful, Accessible, and Inclusive

Module 6 of the Engagement and Wellbeing course reminds us that accessibility in hybrid delivery is not just about technology — it’s about relationship, communication, and trust.

Consistency builds safety. Where possible, use the same facilitator for the same participants across sessions. A familiar voice or face reduces the cognitive work of orienting to a new person, and allows genuine rapport to develop over time.

Adapt the pace, not the quality. Virtual sessions may need to move more slowly than in-person ones. This is not a compromise — it is an invitation to dwell. Spending longer with a single image, a single colour, a single question is not a failure of planning; it is responsive practice.

Attend to sensory comfort. Ask caregivers in advance about lighting — is the room bright enough? Is the screen’s brightness comfortable? Is there background noise that might be distracting? Small adjustments, made with care, signal that the participant’s experience matters.

Language matters. Use warm, affirming language throughout. Avoid correcting or questioning responses. When a participant names a colour incorrectly or makes something entirely unexpected, follow their lead with curiosity rather than redirection. “Oh, you’ve made something wonderful there — tell me about it” is always more useful than “That’s not quite what we were trying to do.”

Leave room for refusal. On some days, a participant may not wish to make art at all. That is always acceptable. The facilitated space — the voice, the company, the gentle invitation — is itself a form of care.

A Note on Evaluation and Reflection

Hybrid delivery is still a developing practice, and the Artful Moments community has much to learn from each other. If you are running virtual or hybrid sessions, keep notes. What worked? What surprised you? When did a participant light up — and what had just happened in the session to bring that about?

Sharing these reflections — with colleagues, through the Artful Moments network, and through continued engagement with the Engagement and Wellbeing course — helps all of us grow. The methodology is not fixed; it evolves in response to the real, particular, beautifully varied people we work with.

Getting Started

If you are new to hybrid delivery, start small. Try a one-to-one phone session with an existing participant before scaling to a group. Assemble one art kit and ask a trusted caregiver for feedback on the materials and instructions. Join a peer learning conversation with other Artful Moments practitioners.

Technology is a tool. Warmth, attention, and creative curiosity are the methodology. The two, held together with care, can reach further than either can alone.

References

This article draws on content from Module 6 of the Artful Moments Engagement and Wellbeing course.

Access Module 6 Here

For more information on our training programmes, resources, and practitioner community, visit the Artful Moments website.