Gerontology faculty member calls for new research models for dementia interventions
A Washington Post article discussing arts-based interventions for Alzheimer's cites a paper by gerontology faculty and Scripps research fellow Dr. Kate de Medeiros. The paper is titled "Shall I Compare Thee to a Dose of Donepezil?”: Cultural Arts Interventions in Dementia Care Research," and was published by The Gerontologist. In reviewing findings from 27 systematic and integrative reviews of pharmacologic, psychosocial, and cultural arts interventions Kate and co-author Dr. Anne Bastings identified promising outcomes as well as limitations in current approaches.
Scripps Gerontology Center and Miami University faculty have been at the forefront of arts-based interventions for people with dementia. Our Opening Minds through Art program (OMA) began in 2007 and is an intergenerational, evidence-based art program serving over 200 elders with dementia annually. Through OMA and work like Dr. de Medeiros', we're proud to be making a positive difference in the lives of elders with dementia and their families.