Social inclusion program in museums of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona for Alzheimer patients

Center of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona, Barcelona's Contemporary Culture Centre

Barcelona, Spain

October 2010 to date

A group of committed center workers who aim to bring art and culture closer to people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as their caregivers and family members. Exhibitions: Museum exhibitions that can be adapted for visits by people with Alzheimer’s.

Staff Training: Museum staff need to be adequately trained to effectively interact and communicate with individuals with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. Exhibition Adaptation: Exhibitions need to be adapted to be accessible and engaging for individuals with Alzheimer’s, which may require changes in exhibition presentation and design. Impact Evaluation: Measuring the cognitive and emotional impact of these programs can be challenging as it requires long-term data collection and analysis. Alternative Activities: Creating alternative activities, such as film programs or history sessions, requires additional planning and coordination. Demand: Organizing activities “on demand” can be logistically challenging and require flexible management.

The Alzheimer's Programme has been active since its creation by CCCB staff members in October 2010. Evaluation numbers show it has become the leading cultural programme aimed at people with Alzheimer's in Spain, being the primary referent for other cultural platforms such as the History Museum of Barcelona and the Contemporary Art Museum of Alicante which are currently working on adapting their programming to the elderly and to people with cognitive disabilities. The Alzheimer's programme has also become a role model for adapted visits at the Olympic Museum and the Museum of Performing Arts of Barcelona (MAE). Moreover, there is General Report and an Evaluation Report (conducted by Vic University) of the programme proving that over the more than ten years the programme has been running, it has been shown to have a positive impact on both the cognitive and emotional well-being not only of participants but also on their caregivers, their family members and on cultural educators. Firstly because the Alzheimer's Programme breaks with the exclusion and isolation of Alzheimer's patients, as the Evaluation and Assessment Report shows. Secondly, because adapted programming proves that providing Alzheimer's patients with workshops and physical-visual stimuli engages them with the moment, setting aside the myth that Alzheimer's patients live in the past. Moreover, because providing Alzheimer's patients with learning experiences proves to slow the impact of their disease if in the early stages of the disease. Success data include: -More than 100 visits part of the Alzheimer's programme -More than 1,300 annual regular users from 30 Associations and Day Centers -Becoming the elderly and adapting programming role model of the association Apropa Cultura (a Catalan network of cultural institutions focussed on making culture accessible) since 2013 -Member of the Museums and Accessibility Working Group since 2013.

Institutions might find it difficult to adapt current programming to Alzheimer-patients-focused activities. However, cultural institutions can apply museum programming for vulnerable audiences to a specific audience, from the elderly and people with disabilities related to mobility or cognitive diversity to Alzheimer patients. It is not a matter of adapting all programming but, rather, a matter of putting the effort into making the programming more accessible and open up to systematically excluded audiences. In connection to Alzheimer's programming, transfer potential comes from having specialized staff that might better understand and suggest how specific activities can be profitable and beneficial for Alzheimer patients. On the other hand, having a network of cultural institutions focussed on programmes for people with disabilities and the elderly is a good way of starting adapted programming.

Complementary Activities: A set of activities that can be organized in addition to exhibition visits. These could include cinema sessions, history sessions based on photographs, or short tours to get to know the surroundings of the museum. Education Service: An education service that can organize and coordinate the activities. This service would also be the point of contact for more information about the activities. Network of Institutions: Contact with other institutions that offer cultural activities for people affected by Alzheimer’s. This would allow for resource and experience sharing. Collaboration with Local Entities: Working with local entities, such as the Diputació de Barcelona, to encourage and assist other cultural centers in implementing similar activities. Impact Assessment: A method for assessing the cognitive and emotional impact of the activities on participants, caregivers, family members, educators, and the institution itself. The Alzheimer's Programme has become the leading cultural programme aimed at people with Alzheimer's in Spain. CCCB is currently working alongside Barcelona's County Council to expand the existing network of institutions in Barcelona that offer cultural activities for people affected by Alzheimer's, encouraging and helping other cultural centres to implement activities along these lines.