Creative Support: Building Bonds Through Play for People with Early Onset Dementia and Their Caregivers

德比大学和北安普顿大学将对一个新的戏剧讲习班对65岁以下的年轻痴呆症患者及其照顾者的影响进行研究。该项目将开发一个供国内使用的工具包，提供超出本项目范围的产出。项目负责人在与痴呆症患者和戏剧疗法合作方面具有专业知识，这对本研究的目标至关重要。人们越来越有兴趣将艺术用于痴呆症患者。这些活动往往侧重于通过音乐、舞蹈和博物馆进行参与，针对的是晚年和/或疗养院的人。对于65岁以下和居住在社区的人来说，很少关注使用戏剧。该研究旨在了解患有痴呆症的年轻人及其照顾者是否认为参加戏剧研讨会有好处，以及这种方法是否加强了与这一群体的关系。该项目将探索戏剧技术的潜力，在研讨会期间或之后，在个性化工具包的帮助下，在家中使用。这项研究将填补对戏剧在支持年轻痴呆症患者及其照顾者方面的作用的理解上的空白。该项目将邀请两组五对，一名年轻痴呆症患者及其照顾者参加为期10周的戏剧工作坊。每节课两个小时，有时间喝咖啡。支持将由一名戏剧专家，两名研究人员和一名来自英国痴呆症的志愿痴呆症专家提供。这些工作坊基于一种称为神经戏剧性游戏的方法（Jennings 2011）。NDP是一个关系模型，它建立了弹性，科普能力，创造性发挥。它使用节奏，游戏和感官方面来支持人与人之间的联系。NDP最初是为儿童开发的，现已成功适用于老年痴呆症患者（Jaaniste 2017）。借鉴这种适应，创意支持将使用这种新的方法与年轻发病的痴呆症患者和他们的照顾者（S）。研讨会将利用一系列活动，包括：戏剧，角色扮演，讲故事，声音，艺术和音乐制作，运动和节奏，创造图像，场景和故事。该项目将使用混合方法案例研究设计，在开始，结束和8个月后收集数据研讨会。纵向数据将探讨长期变化的潜力。这些方法将包括：戏剧工作坊的录像、访谈和工作坊后的反思，以及对生活质量、恢复力和依恋的有效测量的使用。一组患有年轻痴呆症的人，他们的照顾者，痴呆症和创造性艺术专家将组成一个咨询小组，以帮助测试将该项目塑造成更大的全国性研究的想法和方法。该小组将帮助为研讨会和工具包开发想法，并将尝试不同的研究方法。小组将反馈使用这些方法，分享它的感觉，提供有关如何规划未来研究的宝贵信息。该项目的好处可能是提高参与者的生活质量和管理痴呆症诊断的能力，以及这对他们与照顾者关系的影响。该项目将提供关于戏剧表演的新知识，并提供一个家庭工具包，供服务提供者和该项目以外的痴呆症患者使用。它将导致对新发展计划的适应知识，对其他艺术家，戏剧和痴呆症服务有益。还将获得有关合适的研究方法的知识，以获取有关艺术参与影响的数据。这将为治疗艺术，老龄化和痴呆症的研究人员提供宝贵的知识，包括评估自己工作的支持服务。

Derby and Northampton Universities will conduct research on the impact of a new drama workshop for people with younger onset dementia and their caregiver(s), aged under 65 years. The project will develop a toolkit to be used at home, offering an output with reach beyond this project. The project leads have expertise in working with people with dementia and drama therapy, which are central to the aims of this research. There has been an increasing interest in using arts with people with dementia. These tend to focus on engagement through music, dance and museums, and are aimed at those in later life and/or in care homes. There is little focus on using drama for those under the age of 65 and who live in the community. The research aims to find out if younger people with dementia and their caregiver(s) feel there is a benefit in attending the drama workshops, and whether this approach strengthens relationships with this group. The project will explore the potential for drama techniques to be used at home between or after the workshops, with the aid of a personalised toolkit, made during the sessions. This research will address a gap in understanding the role of drama to support those with younger onset dementia and their caregiver(s).The project will invite two groups of five pairs, a person with younger onset dementia and their caregiver(s), to attend 10-weekly drama workshops. Each session will be two hours, with time for coffee. Support will be provided by a drama expert, two researchers and a volunteering dementia expert from Dementia UK. The workshops are based on a method called Neuro Dramatic Play (Jennings 2011). NDP is a relational model that builds resilience, the ability to cope, into creative play. It uses rhythm, play and sensory aspects to support the bonds between people. Originally developed for use with children, NDP has successfully been adapted for use with older people with dementia (Jaaniste 2017). Drawing on this adaptation, Creative Support will use this novel approach with people with younger onset dementia and their caregiver(s). The workshops will draw upon a range of activities, including: drama, role-play, storytelling, sound, art and music making, movement and rhythm, to create images, scenes and stories.The project will use a mixed methods case study design, with data collected at the start, end, and 8 months post workshops. The longitudinal data will explore the potential for longer lasting changes. The methods will include: video recordings of the drama workshops, interviews and post workshop reflections, and use of validated measures on: quality of life, resilience, and attachment.A group of people living with younger onset dementia, their caregiver(s), dementia and creative arts experts will form a consultation panel to help test the ideas and methods that shape the project towards a larger national study. The panel will help to develop ideas for the workshops, toolkit, and will trial different research methods. The panel will feedback on using these methods, sharing what it felt like, providing valuable information on how to plan for a future study. Benefits of the project could be improved quality of life and ability to manage a dementia diagnosis for participants and the impact that this has on their relationship with their caregiver(s). This project will provide new knowledge on the delivery of drama and an at home toolkit for use by service providers and people with dementia outside of this project. It will lead to knowledge on the adaptation of NDP, of benefit to other artists, drama and dementia services. Knowledge will also be gained on suitable research methods to capture data on impact of arts engagement. This will provide valuable knowledge for researchers of therapeutic arts, ageing and dementia including supporting services to evaluate their own work.