Making Movement

The academic year 20/21 has challenged the CARIAD researchers to think about how we can introduce more inclusive ways for creative collaboration through the use of digital media and video conferencing.

With more organisations now open for collaborating remotely, we have been consulting with expert stakeholders in the care sector to consider how to improve levels of physical activity for older people, primarily in residential care settings.

Making Movement, funded by Cardiff Met Global Academies, has emerged through this collaboration.  The project brings together an experienced multidisciplinary team of researchers from CARIAD and the Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences, led by Professor Diane Crone early career researchers, stakeholder organisations and representatives from patient groups. Our goal is to develop sensory enriched technologies that encourage people to move in meaningful and healthy ways. Although average life-span is ten years longer than for previous generations, these years are often lived in poor health (Centre for Ageing Better 2019). There is an urgent need to find ways to support people to ‘live well’ into older age. Research has evidenced the benefits of exercise and detrimental effect on health and wellbeing of loneliness and social isolation.

Over the course of 2021 we will be working on gathering data through creative activities that will help to refine the scope and goals of the research; provide clarity about the context for the study and its limitations; develop a network of potential organisations who can recruit participants who are ‘experts by experience’ (older people; people living with disability, dementia etc.) and scope potential pathways for impact and routes for dissemination.

The Vale of Glamorgan show

Members of the CARIAD team supported the Alzheimer’s Society at The Vale of Glamorgan show, by running Hand i Pocket sessions.  Visitors to the show were invited to stitch sensory textile pockets for people living with advanced dementia and the Alzheimer’s Society were on hand to offer advice and support.

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Wales Festival of Innovation

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CARIAD threw open its doors this month to share its pioneering design research. The LAUGH project team, based in CARIAD, are working with health professionals and the care sector to develop playful objects to be used in the care of people with late stage dementia.

The LAUGH design Challenge took place in PDR at Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Llandaff Campus, and invited the public with an interest in design and technology to get involved as part of the showcase Wales Festival of Innovation, a national programme of events to celebrate ground-breaking activity in Wales.

The LAUGH team, which includes researchers from universities in the UK and Australia, gave participants the opportunity to use their expertise to help develop new products to stimulate laughter and fun for people living with advanced dementia.

This was one of dozens of participants in the Festival, which is organised jointly by the ESTnet (the technology network for Wales), the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) and MediWales with the support of Welsh Government and industry partners.

Wychwood Festival

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CARIAD members recently ran a series of Hand i Pocket ‘funshops’ at the Wychwood Festival (3rd – 5th June 2016).  These sessions offered visitors to the festival the opportunity to get creative and make a sensory textile ‘Hand i Pocket’ for someone with late stage dementia.  A Hand i Pocket is a stitched textile pocket that looks colourful, is interesting to touch and comforting to feel that will stimulate and amuse someone with late stage dementia.

Working with Age Cymru and Dementia & Imagination (Bangor Univeristy) at the festival, CARIAD’s Funshops were a great success with many pockets made.

Hand i Pocket Funshops are a global community network making textiles for people with dementia. More information about Hand i Pockets can be found at: www.laughproject.info or www.handsproject.info

LAUGH Project in Australia Jan/February 2016

CARIAD researcher Professor Cathy Treadaway is currently working in Australia at University of Technology Sydney with Dr Gail Kenning (International co-Investigator) on the LAUGH design for dementia research project. This is the first of three visits to Australia, which will enable ideas and knowledge to be exchanged as part of the AHRC funded LAUGH project.

CARIAD dementia research with Gwalia Mynydd Mawr

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Residents from Gwalia Mynydd Mawr were joined by Prof Cathy Treadaway and the CARIAD dementia research team for a celebration Tea Party on Sunday 22nd November at the care home in Tumble near Llanelli. The event was held to celebrate the handover of a number of textiles that were developed as part of the Sensor e-Textile design for dementia research at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Continue reading CARIAD dementia research with Gwalia Mynydd Mawr

Tiree Tech Wave

Cardiff Metropolitan University recently teamed up with Alzheimer’s Scotland and the University of Dundee to run a creative community event on the Scottish island of Tiree.  Prof Cathy Treadaway and Helen Watkins from the Centre for Applied Research in Inclusive Arts and Design (CARIAD) joined forces with Dr Keireine Canavan and Chris Dennis from the Cardiff School of Art and Design (CSAD) and Dr Wendy Moncur from University of Dundee to run a Hand i Pocket ‘funshop’ in collaboration with the Taigh a’ Rudha care home, Tiree. Continue reading Tiree Tech Wave

Professorial Lecture – Making a Difference: Designing for Happiness

Design is about people; the better able designers are to understand their needs, the easier it is to create appropriate solutions to support them. Using practical participatory approaches, in which people are kept at the heart of the process, it is possible to gain insights into human experience and then design positively to promote human flourishing and enhance wellbeing. Continue reading Professorial Lecture – Making a Difference: Designing for Happiness