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Emotional response to social dancing and walks in persons with dementia
Liisa Palo-Bengtsson1, Sirkka-Liisa Ekman
1Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Occupational Therapy, and Elderly Care Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Abstract:
The emotional response to social dancing and walks in persons with dementia was studied to better understand the feasibility, popularity, and meaning of these activities from the perspective of the patient. Social dance events and walks were videotaped and analyzed using Husserl's philosophy as a basis for the analysis. Six persons with dementia participated in the study. The results are described in terms of four interrelated themes: 1) the engaged body; 2) the caregivers' understanding, encouragement, and response to patients during the activity; 3) mutual tenderness and communion; and 4) environmental conditions. Results were then synthesized into a general assessment of the emotional states observed and reported in relation to the activities.