Designing folding interventions for Positive Moments

Abstract

People living in the advanced stages of dementia are often confined to a bed or chair and spend many hours unoccupied. Hand-based activities that are ‘in the moment’ and provide stimulation have the potential to relieve agitation, reduce stress and provide a positive benefit to a person’s wellbeing. This paper is a review of the literature that discusses ways in which folding activities can help facilitate meaningful connections between people living with advanced dementia and their caregivers. It is informed by research in the areas of design and dementia care with a focus on wellbeing, unmet needs, repetitive behaviours, hand movements and activities where folding has engaged people with dementia. Reviewed literature evidences ways in which folding activities provide meaningful activity, comfort and may help reduce anxiety for someone living with the advanced stages of the disease. Findings from this review support further investigation into designing novel, non-pharmacological interventions for dementia care, to support caregivers and individuals who engage in repetitive folding. This paper contends that unique folding activities can be designed to facilitate positive moments during the day for individuals living with advanced dementia and their caregivers. Future work will develop novel folding activities that have the potential to reduce anxiety, relieve boredom and increase connections with others.