Using the performance arts to address a "methods gap" in dementia research

Traditional methods of research have frequently failed to accommodate the communication difficulties experienced by a significant proportion of residents living in long-term care. In dementia research, specifically, there is cause for more collaborative, creative ways of working.

The Linking Lives Through Care study is a performance-based narrative inquiry that will take place in a long-term care setting and will bring together all three members of the care triad - residents who are living with dementia, family members and personal support workers - to explore relational care from multiple positions and perspectives.

In this article, we discuss the design choices and creative measures taken to ensure a more inclusive research environment, specifically for those participants who are cognitively frail and/or may find it difficult to express their views using just words.