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Innov Aging
Innov Aging
innovateage
Innovation in Aging
2399-5300 Oxford University Press US 

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.3061
igaa057.3061
Abstracts
Session 7625 (Symposium)
AcademicSubjects/SOC02600
Best Practices in Museum Programming for People With Dementia and Their Care Partners
Halpin-Healy Carolyn 1 Noble James 2 1 
Arts & Minds, New York, New York, United States
2 
Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, United States
2020 
16 12 2020 
16 12 2020 
4 Suppl 1 Program Abstracts from The GSA 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting “Turning 75: Why Age Matters”836 836
© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America.2020This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Abstract
As more people are living longer with dementia, museums can play an important public health role to support individuals, families, and communities. Arts & Minds programs for people with dementia and their care partners are designed according to principles of person-centered care and adult learning theory. The approach builds on research and evaluation to provide contact with art, which has been shown to reduce apathy and soothe agitation in persons with dementia and also to reduce caregiver stress. According to our observation- and feedback-based assessments of more than 500 program participants over the past 10 years, the processes of collective looking and art making specifically address symptoms of dementia and support human dignity. This presentation addresses the growing research base on the benefits of museum programming, and the ways in which research and evaluation support best practices in museum education to address the challenge of living well with dementia.