Co-creating an Art Exhibition on Living Well With Dementia

Gloria Puurveen; Susan M Cox; Natasha Damiano; Heather Neale Furneaux; Samantha Pineda Sierra

doi:10.1001/amajethics.2022.622

Co-creating an Art Exhibition on Living Well With Dementia

AMA J Ethics. 2022 Jul 1;24(7):E622-633. doi: 10.1001/amajethics.2022.622.

Authors

Gloria Puurveen¹, Susan M Cox², Natasha Damiano³, Heather Neale Furneaux⁴, Samantha Pineda Sierra⁵

Affiliations

¹ Research associate in the W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics and the Centre for Research on Personhood in Dementia Care at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
² Professor in the W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics and the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
³ PhD student in rehabilitation sciences at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
⁴ Contractor for the Building Capacity Project, a federal dementia support initiative funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada.
⁵ Researcher focused on aging, ageism, the representation of older women in media, and the power of memories to define the identity of a person.

PMID: 35838391
DOI: 10.1001/amajethics.2022.622

Abstract

This article considers ethical questions raised during development of an online art exhibit for and with people with dementia and their care partners. This article also describes a participant engagement process emphasizing patient autonomy as a means of dismantling stigma, promoting personhood, and stimulating community engagement. This co-creative project suggests the potential for patients' art to spark attitude change and promote reciprocal, regenerative care practices.

MeSH terms

Dementia* / therapy
Humans
Morals
Personhood