Art box deliveries: The experiences of people with dementia and their carers during the Covid 19 lockdown

Armstrong, Christina; Archer, Anji; Critten, Valerie and Critten, Sarah (2022). Art box deliveries: The experiences of people with dementia and their carers during the Covid 19 lockdown. Dementia, 21(8) pp. 2499–2516.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/14713012221124863

Abstract

Art workshops have been looked at before in terms of impact for people with dementia but never those conducted remotely during a pandemic lockdown. Two artists, working with local museums, provided Art workshops for people with dementia and their caregivers. Due to the first Covid 19 lockdown in the UK, the artists set up a weekly delivery service of Home Art Boxes to thirty-three people with dementia and their caregivers over a period spanning 11 months. The artists received funding from local organisations and the Community Lottery Fund. Thematic analysis of the feedback from the participants regarding the project and the artists themselves provided the data for this evaluation of the project. Seven main themes were identified: organisation of the project; community and connections; supporting the caregivers; enjoyment and enrichment; well-being and cognitive benefits of the projects; equipment and instructions; and drawbacks within the project. The participants’ feedback enabled the artists to improve the contents and instructions given each week so that they were able to adjust the activities for those people with dementia whose condition was declining. Implications are that remote Art workshops are possible during lockdown restrictions, but that personal communication is equally important.