Mari Salovaara - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
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Research has revealed that creative activities such as craft-making offer mental and physical sti... more Research has revealed that creative activities such as craft-making offer mental and physical stimulation and enable connection with the wider world. Engagement in making can enhance mood and help to preserve identity as an enabled and developing person. These factors are important for older adults and their well-being, especially for those who need extensive care. Notwithstanding the research findings, the opportunities provided by creative activities are not utilized to their full potential in care settings. This paper looks at the elements of appropriate craft pedagogy in this context. The pedagogy was created following the practices of action research during an international Handmade Wellbeing project, with partners from Finland, the U.K., Austria, and Estonia. The pedagogical model was co-created iteratively during the project to reach the potential of enhancing well-being with craft activities. The role of the facilitator of creative activities is crucial. The starting point is to reflect one's perception of older adults and design learning targets that are suitable for them. A good facilitator masters the topic of the activities and knows instructional methods. Knowing how to adapt the content and instructional approaches so they are suitable for participants is essential and requires knowledge of the special needs of the participants, such as dementia and limitations in physical abilities. All along, the facilitator needs to reflect critically on his/her own perceptions, beliefs and experiences to be able to develop and revise his/her practice.
The research assignment of this development research is to develop a handicraft-themed reminiscen... more The research assignment of this development research is to develop a handicraft-themed reminiscence box for older adults. It was ordered by Dagny Bäckström's foundation. Reminiscence box is a collection of triggers, e.g. objects, sounds and scents. It is used in reminiscence work, a method used in eldercare. Reminiscing helps to maintain personal identity, accept the past and gain a feeling of integrity. Handicraft is a fruitful topic for reminiscing, because it has been an essential part of everyday life for older adults. There is evidence that handicraft promotes well-being by supporting positive self-image and self-esteem and also encourages social interaction and helps to maintain social and family ties. Handicraft objects can remind of these positive things. These aspects form the theoretical background for this research. Developing included designing a manuscript for a reminiscence event, planning the range of triggers for the box and also collecting them. Plans were intro...
Research has revealed that creative activities such as craft-making offer mental and physical sti... more Research has revealed that creative activities such as craft-making offer mental and physical stimulation and enable connection with the wider world. Engagement in making can enhance mood and help to preserve identity as an enabled and developing person. These factors are important for older adults and their well-being, especially for those who need extensive care. Notwithstanding the research findings, the opportunities provided by creative activities are not utilized to their full potential in care settings. This paper looks at the elements of appropriate craft pedagogy in this context. The pedagogy was created following the practices of action research during an international Handmade Wellbeing project, with partners from Finland, the U.K., Austria, and Estonia. The pedagogical model was co-created iteratively during the project to reach the potential of enhancing well-being with craft activities. The role of the facilitator of creative activities is crucial. The starting point i...
Handmade Wellbeing Handbook. University of Helsinki, 2017
Research has revealed that creative activities such as craft-making offer mental and physical sti... more Research has revealed that creative activities such as craft-making offer mental and physical stimulation and enable connection with the wider world. Engagement in making can enhance mood and help to preserve identity as an enabled and developing person. These factors are important for older adults and their well-being, especially for those who need extensive care. Notwithstanding the research findings, the opportunities provided by creative activities are not utilized to their full potential in care settings. This paper looks at the elements of appropriate craft pedagogy in this context. The pedagogy was created following the practices of action research during an international Handmade Wellbeing project, with partners from Finland, the U.K., Austria, and Estonia. The pedagogical model was co-created iteratively during the project to reach the potential of enhancing well-being with craft activities. The role of the facilitator of creative activities is crucial. The starting point is to reflect one's perception of older adults and design learning targets that are suitable for them. A good facilitator masters the topic of the activities and knows instructional methods. Knowing how to adapt the content and instructional approaches so they are suitable for participants is essential and requires knowledge of the special needs of the participants, such as dementia and limitations in physical abilities. All along, the facilitator needs to reflect critically on his/her own perceptions, beliefs and experiences to be able to develop and revise his/her practice.
The research assignment of this development research is to develop a handicraft-themed reminiscen... more The research assignment of this development research is to develop a handicraft-themed reminiscence box for older adults. It was ordered by Dagny Bäckström's foundation. Reminiscence box is a collection of triggers, e.g. objects, sounds and scents. It is used in reminiscence work, a method used in eldercare. Reminiscing helps to maintain personal identity, accept the past and gain a feeling of integrity. Handicraft is a fruitful topic for reminiscing, because it has been an essential part of everyday life for older adults. There is evidence that handicraft promotes well-being by supporting positive self-image and self-esteem and also encourages social interaction and helps to maintain social and family ties. Handicraft objects can remind of these positive things. These aspects form the theoretical background for this research. Developing included designing a manuscript for a reminiscence event, planning the range of triggers for the box and also collecting them. Plans were intro...
Research has revealed that creative activities such as craft-making offer mental and physical sti... more Research has revealed that creative activities such as craft-making offer mental and physical stimulation and enable connection with the wider world. Engagement in making can enhance mood and help to preserve identity as an enabled and developing person. These factors are important for older adults and their well-being, especially for those who need extensive care. Notwithstanding the research findings, the opportunities provided by creative activities are not utilized to their full potential in care settings. This paper looks at the elements of appropriate craft pedagogy in this context. The pedagogy was created following the practices of action research during an international Handmade Wellbeing project, with partners from Finland, the U.K., Austria, and Estonia. The pedagogical model was co-created iteratively during the project to reach the potential of enhancing well-being with craft activities. The role of the facilitator of creative activities is crucial. The starting point i...
Handmade Wellbeing Handbook. University of Helsinki, 2017