Eighteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

House of Memories is a museum-led dementia awareness training for dementia carers. Several national and international partners have adopted the programme. Since 2012, House of Memories evaluations have consistently shown positive outcomes, including i) increased awareness; ii) carers improved wellbeing; iii) improved capacity for critical and creative care; and iv) increased cultural engagement (Ganga & Wilson, 2020). Nonetheless, peer-reviewed evidence to inform policy is limited, and further research is required to advance the field. This paper provides preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of House of Memories Cymru in i) connecting Welsh museums with the health and social care sector; ii) improving the wellbeing of older people and those living with dementia (PLWD); and ii) placing Wales as a dementia-friendly destination. The focus of this paper is to provide empirical evidence of the effectiveness of the House of Memories Cymru in informing the implementation of the Welsh Governments Programme for the 6th Senedd, demonstrating how House of Memories Cymru development skills to facilitate PLWD and their carers (partners/family) to visit Wales; and those living in Wales: i) better quality of life; ii) retention of Welsh language skills, through the implementation of digital innovation (House of Memories app – co-designed by PLWD, use museum collections for reminiscence with carers) supporting carers and PLWD to live better.

Presenters

Rafaela Neiva Ganga
Associate Professor in Cultural Management & Health Innovation, Liverpool Business School, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom