Project six
The purpose of this study is to explore the potential of creative experiences as a medium to improve the quality of life and hospitalisation.
KEY WORDS : QOL (Quality of Life) – LOS (Length of stay), experiences, creativity, hospitalisation
QUALITY OF LIFE: General quality of life encom- passes all aspects of life, includ- ing health, recreation, culture, rights, values, beliefs, aspirations, and the conditions that support a life containing these elements.
The subject area that I will be exploring is a cross disciplinary one; it combines healthcare (hospitalisation of patients), mental health/quality of life and creative entertainment experiences. The precise question I will be addressing is the following: How can creativity improve the quality of life of hospitalised patients? I have opted to leave the question as a general one as there are many angles in which to approach creativity, experience and the improvement of wellbeing.
I am yet to define which area of hospitalisation I will be focusing on as a way to start. As area I refer to oncology (which is most likely the area I will focus on), pediatric care and so on. It is early to define which type of creative practise or approach will be used to explore the impact in patients however, it will be through several interventions through different artistic experiences that this will naturally take its own path.
WHY: Why will this research be of value to you – and the world?
This research will be of value because being hospitalised long term is already a difficult experience as it is, and in many cases, the patient can feel removed from normality and almost from society, as if everything going on is in the exterior. Patients spend hours and hours in hospitals and while not everyone might be in the conditions to attend to activities, there are still a number of hospitalisations that could be made more pleasant. Hospitalised patients may be at risk of experiencing a sense of fear and anxiety and this is why it is important not to completely remove them from the world that they were living before they had to be hospitalised.
Not only this but it is a stage in which many of us will experience at some point in our lives, whether that is while being young or old; and not just ourselves but close friends or family members. There are hospitals who already cater to their patients’ needs, however many of these are high-end private hospitals that many cannot afford.
Understanding an applicable model of creative entertainment for hospitalised patients could be a way to help them improve their motivation, sense of normality and give them and their family members a way of spending time together as breaks from the common dynamic of hospital bed and room.
Again, while some countries and hospitals are already focusing on ways in which they can help their patients’ mental health positively, there are still many hospitals, places of care and countries that do not; and regardless of their age, race, condition and state they should be helped throughout a time in which the most precious element, their health, is at stake.
HOW: How will you accomplish your project in practical terms? What will be your methodology, management strategy, and schedule?
First of all I will be looking at different existing and past models of care; various theories such as Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring, Margat Naumberg’s Art Therapy practise and those existing to mental health, elderly care home model’s of entertainment and look into practises within different countries and hospitals, cruise ships model of entertainment and so on. It is crucial to understand what exists, what has worked, what hasn’t, what has been accepted and what not and the reasons for this.
While doing this theoretical research, I will interview different health care professionals and hospitalised patients to understand their current state at hospitals and if they believe introducing any sort of entertainment experience that can spark human connection could be of positive impact.
I will proceed with several local organisations from different artistic disciplines to curate a programme that could be spread throughout two months and introduce such to both patients and professionals; a prior approval or feedback from psychotherapists, health care workers and managers will be absolutely necessary.
Some of the organisations that I am considering partnering with will range of disciplines; from theatre, puppetry, fine art, photography, comedy, cinema and so on.
At the minute, the one thing against this project besides fundings is the current pandemic as it would be delicate to let people into the hospital unless necessary. If the situation has not improved by the time needed, the interventions will have to change or will be adapted to being screened online or be directed to be done by the patients themselves.
Furthermore, this is a project that has both the potential to grow into a curatorial programme specialised in creating experiences for hospitals or it could show that in this field, creativity might not be the immediate remedy to hopelessness or anxiety; however, what is crucial is to test and find out, and redirect if needed.
I am yet to decide whether this is a project that will be focused solely in Catalonia or if will be done in London, at the minute however, London is doing much more progressive approaches in the field than catalonia and because of that it might be of more impact in to do it where it is most needed.
On the other hand, the lack of cultural appreciation in the arts and the lack of fundings could be an obstacle to even get through the first doors with such progressive idea and approach; in which case if this were to be a constant impediment to be able to carry on my interventions then I will move on to doing it in the UK, whether that is in London or somewhere where hospitalisations are naturally high and there is a need for this sort of project. Decentralisation is one of my main interests as well so this would be an interesting way of application as well.
Reading sources:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2000). Healthy people 2010: A systematic approach to health improve- ment. Retrieved May 30, 2007
A Prospective Descriptive Study Exploring Hope, Spiritual Well- Being, and Quality of Life inHospitalized Patients
Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring (Watson, 1999)
Creativity and Spirituality in Nursing, Implementing Art in Healing Mary Rockwood Lane, PhD, RN
Cancer, emotions, and cinema: a preliminary study about the changes experienced by oncological patients L. Sarno1, M.M. Ratti2, E. Soldi1, A. Derevianko3, C. Verusio
Ana Filipa Correia, Sofia Barbosa, Cinema, aesthetics and narrative: Cinema as therapy in substance use disorders,The Arts in Psychotherapy,Volume 60,2018
Shannon B. Dermer & Jennifer B. Hutchings (2000) Utilizing Movies in Family Therapy: Applications for Individuals, Couples, and Families, The American Journal of Family Therapy, 28:2, 163-180, DOI: 10.1080/019261800261734
https://www.medicinema.org.uk/what-we-do
Carla Gramaglia, Giovanni Abbate-Daga, Federico Amianto, Annalisa Brustolin, Stefania Campisi, Carlotta De-Bacco, Secondo Fassino, Cinematherapy in the day hospital treatment of patients with eating disorders. Case study and clinical considerations,The Arts in Psychotherapy.
Kristine Theurer, W. Ben Mortenson, Robyn Stone, Melinda Suto, Virpi Timonen, Julia Rozanova, The need for a social revolution in residential care,Journal of Aging Studies, Volume 35, 2015,Pages 201-210