Dementia Society - Guk Hyun-mi Conducts 'Daily Praise' Program for Dementia Patients and Caregivers

The Korean Dementia Association and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art announced on the 13th that starting from the 12th, the 'Daily Praise - Creating the Museum Together' program for dementia patients and their caregivers will begin at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul.

Participants in 'Daily Praise - The Museum Made Together,' organized by the Korean Dementia Association and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art for dementia patients and their caregivers
[Photo by Korean Dementia Association]

Since 2012, the Korean Dementia Association has been conducting the Daily Praise campaign as an annual planned program to support outings for dementia patients and their caregivers who have difficulty participating in external activities, aiming to raise awareness of the importance of managing Activities of Daily Living (ADL). ADL refers to the ability to independently perform basic daily and social activities necessary for self-care. It includes fundamental physical functions such as controlling bladder and bowel movements, using the restroom, bathing, eating, and walking.

The 'Daily Praise - Creating the Museum Together' program, conducted in collaboration with the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art as part of the Daily Praise campaign, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year and will be held a total of 10 times this month. Approximately 200 dementia patients and caregivers recruited through dementia safety centers in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province are expected to participate in the program.

This Daily Praise program is linked to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s first landscape exhibition, 'Jung Young-sun: For All That Breathes on This Land,' by first-generation landscape architect Jung Young-sun. Dementia patients and caregivers will experience artworks in nature through Korean native wildflowers and trees in the exhibition garden and participate in educational programs related to the exhibition, allowing them to experience nature through their five senses with elements such as trees, stones, flowers, and soil.

Choi Seong-hye, Chairperson of the Korean Dementia Association and Professor of Neurology at Inha University Hospital, said, “As dementia patients’ ability to perform daily activities declines, caregivers face significant difficulties and increased caregiving time, which adds to their burden. We hope that dementia patients and caregivers participating in this Daily Praise program will find revitalization in their daily lives, and the Korean Dementia Association will continue to make multifaceted efforts for many dementia patients and caregivers.”

Kim Seong-hee, Director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, said, “Over the past 10 years of conducting Daily Praise together, many patients and caregivers have actively participated each time. We will continue to do our best to ensure that Daily Praise can be sustained based on various artworks and educational programs.”