Improving residents’ lives through culture: two German initiatives awarded

Improving nursing home residents’ participation and quality of life through art and culture is the goal of two German initiatives awarded by AGE German member organisation BAGSO 2019 GERAS Prize on 7 October in Duisburg at the symposium “Participation of people with dementia – art and culture create access“.

The winners are a nursing home for older persons from Frankfurt am Main and an independent theatre from Cologne. An inclusive art education project from Görlitz received a special mention.

• Justina von Cronstetten Stift, Frankfurt/Main

The nursing home for older persons offers a broad and varied cultural programme, shaped together with its residents. Every week there is an excursion to a museum, an art exhibition or a concert, for example, chosen by the residents. There are also more than 100 cultural events taking place at the nursery home every year. Relatives and citizens of the neighbourhood are also invited.

www.justina-von-cronstetten-stift.de

• Theater Demenzionen, Cologne

The fact that theatre can take place anywhere – even in care facilities – is demonstrated by the Theater Demenzionen, which has been developing interactive plays for and with people with dementia since 2007. The Theater Demenzionen performs in nursing homes throughout North Rhine-Westphalia.

The residents of nursing facilities are actively involved. For the performances, memories from the world of the 1950s and 1960s are collected, such as life in the kitchen on a Saturday afternoon, the holiday trip to Italy or the Christmas party in the family. The staging of the plays involves the audience. Spectators are invited, for example, to fold clothes, dance or sing.

www.demenzionen.de