Care as an aesthetic practice
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Care as an aesthetic practice: Exploring the work of Healthcare Support Workers on dementia inpatient assessment wards
IRAS ID
333833
Contact name
James Thompson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
AH/W003104/1, AHRC REF number for Project: Care Aesthetics Research Exploration (CARE)
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 28 days
Research summary
Care aesthetics is a new concept with deep historical roots in healthcare, harking back to Florence Nightingale’s famous comment in 1859 that ‘nursing is an art’. This proposed study is part of a wider, three-year (2022-2025) Arts and Humanities Research Council funded research project called ‘Care Aesthetics: Research Exploration’ (CARE). CARE aims to create the first comprehensive and multidisciplinary investigation into the concept of care aesthetics, applying research outcomes to develop new practices of artful care designed for contemporary arts, health and social care settings. The interest of the overall CARE project is to support and value embodied forms of care and the skills and knowledge needed for such practices. These skills – the touch of a hand, looking someone in the eyes, a modified tone of voice – are often conceptualised as being ‘intuitive’ by professional healthcare workers, and therefore challenging to teach or learn. The interdisciplinary research team led by Professor of Applied Theatre James Thompson will invite healthcare support workers, patients living with dementia and family carers to take part in this 20-week study at two dementia assessment wards. In this particular study, we aim to understand how healthcare staff deliver ‘care’ and interact with people with dementia with complex behavioural and physical support needs. Two performing arts researchers in theatre and dance will run collaborative learning groups with staff as a means of learning from them, specifically how they perform nonverbal acts of care. We will also observe, speak with and video-record staff doing activities with patients such as haircare or gardening. Finally, we will speak with patients and their family carers. We thus examine the additional elements to caring that go beyond what is usually seen, heard, felt, noticed, or recognised as ‘care’ in healthcare work.
Results Summary
This 20-week study took place between 12th March and 12th June 2024 and across two identified NHS Mental Health Trust sites in the North of England. Three separate mental health wards for older people took part in the study: site 1 comprised of one ‘dementia only’ ward and one ‘mixed’ ward where patients with dementia were admitted alongside older people with other serious mental health conditions, such as late-life psychosis; site 2 comprised a ‘dementia only’ ward. The six-session CLGs were structured as follows: 1. ‘Getting to know’ one another; 2. How do we care?; 3. How do we notice care?; 4. How can we value care?; 5. Group Reflection; and 6. Agree study findings. All data is qualitative, and was transcribed and analysed by members of the team.
A figure was developed that describes the practice of Health Care Support Workers working with people with dementia using the phrase ‘Tuning In’, across five dimensions: Tuning in to the person with dementia, to the ward and colleagues, to the staff member’s values and themselves, to their craft, and to visitors on the ward. When all these attributes work in harmony, we find there to be a sense of ‘co-presence’, which provides foundations for the professionalisation of Healthcare Support Workers.REC name
North West - Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/NW/0335
Date of REC Opinion
15 Dec 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion