玩出意義來—易徑玩樂於臺灣失智症長者團體工作實務探究

Creating Meaning Through Play: Practice Inquiry into Play Intervention for Dementia (PID) within Social Group Work with Older Adults in Taiwan

Research Purpose Play Intervention for Dementia (PID) was developed in Canada in 2013. Since then, it has been applied in regions such as Hong Kong. In recent years, PID has gradually been introduced into services for the elderly in Taiwan and adopted by helping professionals working with older adults. PID emphasizes playful, activity-based interactions to stimulate the physical, cognitive, and social abilities of older adults. It also enhances their participation and sense of agency. By focusing on individuals’ strengths and remaining capacities, PID offers an alternative to conventional dementia care. Traditional care often emphasizes deficits and decline. Despite its growing use in Taiwan, empirical research on how helping professionals learn and translate the PID model to local practice remains limited. Therefore, this study aims to explore experiences of helping professionals in Taiwan as they learn and apply the PID model within long-term care and related service settings. Method This study recruited eight helping professionals who completed PID training. Six had social work backgrounds, and two were long-term care workers. We used purposive sampling to select participants with both PID training and practical experience. We collected data through in-depth qualitative interviews. Interviews focused on participants’ learning processes, reflections on training, and experiences facilitating PID groups for people with dementia. We transcribed interview data verbatim. We used thematic analysis to find recurring patterns and themes about participants’ learning, professional reflections, and use of the PID model. Results Four major themes emerged from the analysis. First, learning the PID model enabled helping professionals to re-examine, deconstruct, and integrate their existing theoretical knowledge of dementia care. Second, it facilitated the development of innovative group practices for older adults. These practices are grounded in existential meaning and emphasize lived experiences, strengths, and sense of purpose. Third, PID groups enhanced participation, interaction, and social connectedness among older adults with dementia. These groups created opportunities for engagement and relationship-building. Fourth, participants identified challenges and dilemmas in applying the PID model within Taiwan’s long-term care settings. These included constraints related to organizational environments, staffing, resource availability, and implementation of person-centered care principles. Conclusion Based on the findings, several recommendations are proposed to support the development of long-term care and social work services. First, a shift toward a person-centered care perspective should be promoted to better recognize and respond to the needs and strengths of older adults with dementia. Second, innovative approaches to social work group practice should be further explored and incorporated into service delivery. Third, stronger connections with local community resources should be established, alongside training and supervision initiatives to enhance the diverse competencies of institutional staff. Finally, family members and volunteers should be integrated into service planning and implementation as valuable sources of support. Collectively, these strategies may contribute to more holistic, responsive, and person-centered care for older adults with dementia.