Improving Through Improv
Dad’s Garage is an ongoing partner with Improving through Improv (ITI), led by Program Manager and Ensemble Member Amanda Lee Williams. ITI reaches many communities including people who stutter and people with anxiety, however their primary program has been centered around developing novel education programs designed to improve care experiences for persons living with dementia and their care partners.
ITI’s dementia based program, Improving Care through Improv was developed by Amanda Lee Williams in partnership with Dr. Candace Kemp, from the Gerontology Institute at Georgia State University. This collaboration includes training health care workers, including direct care workers and students as well as care partners who are family and friends. The goal is to improve dementia care experiences through the application of improv techniques.
“Improving Care through Improv” was developed with support from Georgia Gear, which is funded by the Health Resource and Services Administration. Current funding supports age- and dementia-friendly training for students enrolled in Certified Nursing Assistant and related programs within the Technical College System of Georgia. The Emory Roybal Center for Dementia Caregiving Mastery, which is funded by the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health, supported the development of training for family and friends.