IMPROV FOR CAREGIVERS Receives A Grant From The New Hampshire State Council On The Arts

The New London Barn Playhouse received an arts in health grant from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts to continue and expand their Improv for Caregivers program through a larger umbrella program titled “Improv for a Cause.”

“Improv for a Cause” will encompass two communication programs that use a similar process to reach different communities. The first, Improv for Caregivers, in partnership with Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice, is an ongoing communication workshop series for those who care for loved ones with dementia and Alzheimer's. The second, Improv for Bystanders, is a partnership program with Turning Points Network (TPN) and supports TPN's high school bystander training through improvised scenarios around healthy and unhealthy relationships.

Improv for Caregivers began as a request from a Barn Playhouse patron who saw a need for caregiver connections and strategies in the community. After a pilot program in Spring 2023, the Barn Playhouse began hosting monthly workshops that incorporated guest speakers who specialized in different areas of caregiving. The series reached venues in New London, Newport, and Claremont, and the continued series will now add events in Concord and Lebanon.

Each improv workshop session combines insight from healthcare professionals with improvisational theatre techniques, with a goal of developing new communication skills, strategies to cope with stress, flexibility in relationships, and an understanding of loved ones' changing perspectives. With guidance from the VNA and caregivers in the community, the team of actors prepare short scenarios that portray situations caregivers commonly face, such as sundowning, taking away car keys, collaborating with care staff, and hallucinations.

Throughout the performance of these scenarios, actors pause to take suggestions from the audience, acting out different strategies in real time. Each scenario is followed by a discussion, where caregivers in the audience can share their own related experiences, successes, and challenges. Workshops typically end with a conversation about caregiver self-care and an opportunity for participants to ask the healthcare professionals questions.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, 26,500 people aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's in New Hampshire, and the number of family caregivers continues to rise. “As a home care agency, our staff see patients and families dealing with the challenges of Alzheimer's and other dementias every day,” said Jim Culhane, President and CEO of Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice. “After seeing such a positive impact on area caregivers over the last year we are eager to continue our partnership with the Barn Playhouse, so that even more families can benefit from Improv for Caregivers.”

Improv for Bystanders uses the same model of improvising scenarios and playing out audience suggestions, but the performers are teenagers. Staff at Turning Points learned about Improv for Caregivers and saw an opportunity to connect with students in a more authentic and engaging manner. Many of the videos built into their healthy relationship and bystander trainings are outdated and no longer resonate with current high school students. Improv for Bystanders brings in real teenage actors to make the relationship situations more realistic, relatable, and tangible. Students can interact with the scenes in real time and offer their own suggestions to be played out. They can even step into the scene themselves to practice a communication strategy in a safe space.

Student actors in the Improv for Bystanders program receive a stipend from the grant, as well as training and guidance from TPN staff. Most of the work will be done in partnership with Stevens High School in Claremont, but some of the scenarios will be filmed for TPN to use in future trainings when live actors are not available.

“Beyond learning practical skills, Improv for Caregivers has shown us the power of sharing vulnerable experiences and creating a support community, and we are so excited to expand the program model to other topics that can be difficult to discuss,” said Sage Tokach, Director of Education at the Barn Playhouse. “It's amazing to have this opportunity to pay students to learn valuable skills about healthy relationships while using the arts to spread awareness and make the subject a bit less taboo.”

Improv for Bystanders does not currently have any scheduled events open to the public, but the new Improv for Caregivers series is free and open to any interested participants. Fall dates and locations are set, and spring dates will be announced later this year.

● Wednesday, October 9 from 10:30am–Noon: Improv workshop at the Barn Playhouse Fleming Center with guest speaker Lynne Neuwirt, VNA occupational therapist. This session will discuss the differences between the types of dementia and corresponding common care strategies.
● Tuesday, November 5 from 10:00–11:30am: Improv workshop at Granite Ledges in Concord on the topic of navigating holidays while caring for loved ones with dementia.
● Tuesday, December 3 from 10:00–11:30am: Improv workshop at the Upper Valley Senior Center in Lebanon on the topic of caring for those with dementia in various stages, from early diagnosis to late stage care.

Thanks to the grant, all of the upcoming Improv for Caregivers programs will be free of charge. Space is limited, though, so participants will still be asked to RSVP on the Barn Playhouse website (www.nlbarn.org/adult-learning). If any of the sessions reach max capacity, there will be a waitlist.

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