A practice model informed by care aesthetics: health care support workers working with people with dementia on mental health wards for older people in the United Kingdom

This poster depicts a practice model developed during the Care Aesthetics Research Exploration (CARE) - an interdisciplinary collaboration between applied theatre, nursing & speech and language therapy at The University of Manchester.

This study explored the practice of health care support workers (unregistered staff) who were working with people with dementia on mental health wards for older people within the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. The team used participatory action research methodology with qualitative and ethnographic methods to develop an understanding of the work of this staff group and how care aesthetics could make visible their practice.

This model was developed in collaboration health care support workers and demonstrates how they use sensory, relational and embodied practices in their work. This helps them ‘tune in’ to the person with dementia, to the ward and their colleagues, to themselves and their values, to their craft and to ward visitors. Being co-present demonstrated high quality in-the-moment person-centred care.

We are grateful to a Studio Called Jane who (https://studiocalledjane.co.uk/) completed the art work to produce this poster.