1269 - AUDIOVISUAL IDENTITY CARD AS A NARRATIVE TOOL FOR PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS

Session: D07S001 - Applied Interventions in Aging
AUTHORS:
Covelli Venusia (Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, eCampus University ~ Como ~ Italy) , D'Anastasio Clelia (Association for Research and Care in Dementia (ARAD) ~ Bologna ~ Italy) , Scarpino Rosalinda (Association for Research and Care in Dementia (ARAD) ~ Bologna ~ Italy) , Melloni Eugenio (Director and Screenwriter, Curator of the Memofilm Project, Cineteca di Bologna, Italy ~ Bologna ~ Italy) , Marelli Alessandra (Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, eCampus University ~ Como ~ Italy) , Feyles Martino Maria (Department of Human and Social Sciences, eCampus University ~ Como ~ Italy)
Abstract text:
Although the literature has long recognized the usefulness of narrative tools in facilitating the care of people with dementia, the use of audiovisual instruments as mediators of personal identity within the relationship between persons with dementia and their formal and informal caregivers remains less explored. This contribution will first present a narrative review of the literature on the use of narrative medicine and narrative tools with elderly individuals. It will then discuss the theoretical paradigm integrating the phenomenological theory of narrative identity, the psychological theory of autobiographical memory, and narrative medicine approaches, all of which are relevant to the processes of constructing personal identity and narration in people affected by dementia. The contribution will then present the research design, methodology, and preliminary results of an experimental study conducted by a multidisciplinary team. The study involved the creation of five audiovisual identity cards for five individuals with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, as well as the participation of 36 social care workers engaged in their daily care. Data were collected through validated instruments, including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for cognitive functioning, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) for assessing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), and the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) for caregiver burden, administered before and after exposure to the audiovisual cards. Qualitative feedback from caregivers and family members was also collected to explore their perceptions of changes in communication, relational quality, and emotional well-being. Finally, the potential role of the audiovisual identity card as a tool to support the progression and worsening of the disease will be discussed, to enhance the relationship between dementia patients and their caregivers and promote a more effective, person-centered care approach.