Study title

The research aimed to develop a group storytelling activity, balancing the benefits of reminiscing and in-the-moment conversation. It noted that participants exhibited more fluent and animated speech when reacting to present events. The activity involved participants describing images and associated sensory details, then collectively creating a story. Emotional well-being was measured before and after sessions. The goal was to offer enjoyable and creative social interactions for socially isolated older adults, with the activity available both in-person and online. The data collection comprises situational measurements of emotional well-being before and after workshops (Camic, 2020); photographs of two workshops; participant feedback; completed group stories; published product content and certificate of trademark registration; Powerpoint presentations and conference posters; team planning and reflections; ethics certificate and consent templates.The principle aim of the research is to develop a group story-telling activity for people living with dementia. The justification for doing so may be found in the contrasting linguistic behaviour of people with dementia when they are reminiscing about episodes in their earlier life and when they are reacting to events in-the-moment. In-the-moment speech appears to be more fluent, supported by shorter turns and shared conversational roles at these points; and agentive, i.e. linguistic directives, first-person declaratives and other deontic expressions of intent, and taking the first turn in an agency pair, e.g. asking a question, are evident. The person appears to be more animated. Conversely, whilst group reminiscence therapy is suggested for consideration by NICE (2018), some evidence of negative effects in one-to-one reminiscence has been reported, as the speaker becomes aware of the possible contrast between happier past times and their present situation. The proposed activity would achieve a balance between the two...