P184: Creativity during COVID-19: Evaluating an online TimeSlips storytelling program for people living with dementia during quarantine in Cloumbia

Abstract

Objectives:

Since its first implementation in 1998, significant evidence has been presented of the positive impact of the TimeSlips creative expression method for people with dementia in long-term care (LTC) settings. Our research with people with dementia in Colombia extends this evidence in important new directions: it is the longest TimeSlips study to date (at 32 consecutive weeks); it is the first to evaluate the feasibility of the online delivery of the method (in response to the strict COVID-19 quarantine in Colombia); it is the first study to investigate the impact of the TimeSlips method on the personhood, quality of life and psychological well- being of Spanish-speaking participants in non-LTC settings in the Global South.

Methods:

Trained facilitators provided weekly, one-hour TimeSlips group storytelling sessions via Zoom over 32 consecutive weeks to eight participants with dementia. Semi- structured interviews of participants and care partners were conducted within one week of the final intervention. Thematic analysis evaluated the resultant qualitative data.

Results:

Our online implementation of the TimeSlips creative expression method reinforced key facets of participants’ personhood (self-expression and self-perception, which led in turn to increased care partner appreciation), had a positive impact on key domains of quality of life (mood, energy levels and cognitive function) and stimulated a key aspect of psychological well-being (the formation and maintenance of social ties).

Conclusions:

Our study demonstrated that the online delivery of the TimeSlips method to participants who remain in their own homes is both feasible and effective. With more than 2.5 million people with dementia in Latin America (most of whom remain at home post-diagnosis) and a predicted 180% increase in prevalence to 2050 (compared with a 70% increase in Europe), our pioneering study offers important precedents for future, related research, in which a direct comparison between the benefits of online versus face-to-face delivery of the method would be important next step.