Dementia is expected to increase globally in the coming years. National Museums Liverpool is leveraging the power of its collections to address dementia care through its House of Memories program.
House of Memories is a program for dementia awareness and care by National Museums Liverpool, a group of national museums and galleries. This program started in Liverpool in 2012 and has spread nationwide in the UK and internationally to the US and Singapore.
Museum collections are not only repositories of national and societal histories but also embedded in the personal memories and identities for visitors, as well as local communities. Carol Rogers MBE, leader of the House of Memories, emphasizes the profound impact of connecting people with collections, citing their “power to evoke memories.”
Central to House of Memories is creating meaningful connections between dementia patients, their families, caregivers, and broader communities, fostering awareness and care through these interactions. This approach aligns with the museum’s commitment to addressing societal challenges in an aging population.
Improving dementia care is an urgent challenge that requires enhancing social awareness alongside symptom management. Dementia often carries a negative stigma, associated with the loss of various abilities. However, by promoting a better understanding of dementia, more support can be provided, and connections with communities can be fostered, creating an improved environment for affected individuals and their families.
The House of Memories program includes diverse initiatives such as dementia-friendly museum viewings, apps for enjoying collections via tablets or smartphones, and mobile exhibitions bringing art closer to people. These efforts aim to dismantle stigma and empower those affected by dementia.
While the program embraces new technologies, it prioritizes user-centered approaches, ensuring technologies meet the needs of patients who use them. House of Memories exemplifies how museums can listen to affected voices, collaborate with medical and care experts, and develop programs over time.
The video below provides an overview of the activities of the House of Memories. The National Center for Art Research has provided Japanese subtitles to aid in understanding this activity.
