European Journal of Integrative Medicine, 56, 102200.
Glover L., Wolverson E. & Woods C. (2022)
Summary
This paper presents findings from a study of Alexander Technique (AT) teachers’ experiences of teaching people with dementia. The findings come from a survey asking AT teachers if they had ever taught someone with dementia, and if so, what their experiences were and what adaptations they had made to their teaching. The survey also asked about AT teachers’ experiences of teaching carers, these findings are published in Woods et al (2022).
Eighteen of the 84 teachers from 11 countries who completed the survey, had some experience of teaching people with dementia. As well as the survey data, the study included in depth interviews with two teachers who had extensive experience of teaching people with dementia, and published articles by two teachers who had written about their experiences in this area.
Overall, the findings suggest that the AT can help people with dementia. Teachers talked about the ability to connect in a two-way meaningful relationship with people with dementia, with touch playing an important role. Outcomes and changes which seemed specific to people with dementia included effects on memory, sociability and finding a voice. At times teachers described that following a lesson, the person with dementia could undertake a task which they had not been able to do for a long time, for example walking unaided or using a knife and fork. They also described seeing outcomes similar to those more usually expected following AT lessons for example reductions in pain and increased mobility. Teachers described touch being an important way of communicating with people with dementia and saw their teaching very much as a two-way process. Some adaptations to teaching were needed, however the person-focused approach that AT teachers employ meant that respondents were used to making adaptions.
Overall, this study supports undertaking further research to investigate this area. It is important to note that the findings are from teachers rather than from people with dementia themselves. Gaining the perspectives of people with dementia is an important next step.
Access the full article for free here:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eujim.2022.102200
Reference
Woods, C., Wolverson, E., & Glover, L. (2022). Extending understanding of ‘care’ as an embodied phenomenon: Alexander Technique teacher perspectives on restoring carers to themselves, International Journal of Care and Caring (published online ahead of print 2022). Retrieved Dec 10, 2022, from https://bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/view/journals/ijcc/aop/article-10.1332-239788221X16643644394404/article-10.1332-239788221X16643644394404.xml
Abstract
Introduction: To enable people with dementia to live well we must support the person as a whole. The Alexander Technique (AT) offers an approach which addresses both physical and psychological issues which may be suitable to help people with dementia. In this new area of research, this study aimed to establish whether the AT is currently taught to people with dementia and if so to bring together the experiences of AT teachers in relation to the perceived benefits and suitability of the AT for this group.
Methods: This qualitative study included data from responses to survey questions, interview transcripts and published articles.
Results: A total of 84 AT teachers took part in an international survey of whom 18 (21%) had taught one or more people with dementia. Thematic analysis generated the following superordinate themes: ‘The AT can help people with dementia’, ‘How change comes about’, and ‘Adapting the AT for people with dementia’.
Conclusions: AT teachers described perceiving improvements in movement, pain and flexibility; increased calm, sociability and environmental awareness. They highlighted the reciprocal nature of the relationship between teacher and student and highly valued this. Touch was seen as a key means of communication, helping people with dementia to feel safe. It seems that the AT does not require major adaptation to work with this group although the challenges of working in a care setting were discussed. The AT offers the potential to be a valuable intervention for people with dementia and further research is warranted.
To cite this article use:
Glover L., Wolverson E. & Woods C. (2022) ‘I am teaching them and they are teaching me’: Experiences of teaching Alexander Technique to people with dementia. European Journal of Integrative Medicine, 56, 102200.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eujim.2022.102200 Accessed (date)
About the authors
Lesley Glover was a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Hull, and retired in 2022. She is an HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist and Health Psychologist. She qualified as an Alexander Technique teacher in 2014 and is a member of the STAT Research Group.
Emma Wolverson is a clinical psychologist specialising in dementia care, and a long-term student of the Alexander Technique. She works as a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Hull, and with the Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust.
Charlotte Woods retired from a Senior Lectureship at the University of Manchester in 2016 after almost forty years of international experience in teaching, teacher education and in educational policy and leadership. She qualified as a teacher of the AT in 2017 and is a member of the STAT Research Group.