Knitters in a Day Center: The Significance of Social Participation for People With Mild to Moderate Dementia

Abstract

This article explores how people with dementia interact and solve problems while participating in social activities. The present article highlights social participation and interaction among elderly women with mild dementia who engaged in knitting as their main activity. The data were collected through participant observation at a day center in a Norwegian city, and the analysis revealed that the social activity of knitting facilitated conversations about different topics, required various forms of memory and problem solving, and involved different participant statuses. Being part of the knitting group appeared to help the participants maintain their skills and facilitated sociability.

Keywords

social participation social interaction collaboration dementia membership knitting material anchor body technique day center ethnography Norway

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