Creative Journeys Report 2019

Creative Journeys 37 The live classical music was also important for engagement of this generation and not something residents or staff often had the opportunity to experience in the care home setting, but again something that residents often had previous experience of and could share this with the staff. They’ve [care staff] probably listened to Radio 1 their whole lives and then all of a sudden along comes classical music and it just brings a different power and emotion to it. (Stage one activities coordinator) …never heard anything like that before. (Stage one staff member) In some cases, staff were able to see residents in a new light, for example finding out about some of the skills and capabilities they had, and some staff members learnt new relational skills or techniques through the arts activities that they intended to continue using in the future. It’s taught me a lot. It showed me a lot about my residents… I learnt new interaction techniques, techniques to get a group of people able to communicate with each other more as well... (Stage one staff member) One activities coordinator talked about how much they had learnt from the experience and the ways in which they intended to continue using creative arts to engage with residents and promote social relationships: for example they had previously felt hesitant about ‘prying’ into the personal lives and pasts of their residents, but felt that they learnt new skills and techniques enabling them to ask questions in a respectful and non-invasive way where the residents could lead the interaction. Through the activities there were also opportunities for residents to take on different roles in the group, sometimes taking a role of a group leader. So, it was quite nice to see some of the more creative ones having an opportunity to be quite free and to be the leader. Because, actually, some of the people with more advanced dementia were actually more creative. So, to give them that time to lead and to feel a bit of a sense of ownership, I guess, was really nice. (Stage one arts facilitator) By enabling residents to feel useful and productive, the arts activities helped to increase their confidence, which resulted in residents being more outspoken in the group, including one resident who wouldn’t usually get involved in activities or go on outings, which was rewarding for the staff to see. From those sessions, he seemed to then benefit of being more confident, just generally, in a group, and more outspoken, so that was an amazing thing to see. (Stage one care manager) The arts activities provide satisfaction for both residents and staff, as one member of staff in the stage two interviews described it.