Art & Alzheimer's: Participants' views of the Andy Warhol Art Engagement Activity

Purpose: To describe persons with Alzheimer's (AD) and their caregivers' subjective views and experiences regarding participation in an art engagement activity. Methods: Four focus groups were conducted with participants in a novel art engagement activity at the Andy Warhol Museum. Immediately following the completion of the activity, we recruited 10 persons with AD or cognitive impairment and 10 caregivers to share their views and experiences. Open-ended questions were asked in each focus group and we used the qualitative method of grounded theory to analyze the data. Participants also completed a brief satisfaction survey and associations were examined using nonparametric statistics. Findings: Three key themes were identified that described the aspects that participants' enjoyed overall: cognitive stimulation, social connections, and a sense of self. In addition, we identified programmatic issues such as participant characteristics, activity-specific concerns and program logistics that can be utilized to improve future program offerings. We also found that past experience with art and perceived social cohesion were correlated with participants' overall level of enjoyment of the program (r=.54, p<.05, r=.71, p<.01, respectively). Health Implications: It is important to explore how meaningful activities such as the arts may benefit persons with AD and their caregivers. Enjoyment and a sense of connection with others may have important implications for improving quality of life and minimizing the stigma associated with AD and other dementias.