Table 3.

Caregivers’ experiences of participation in a facilitated carers’ creative art leisure group in a Healthy Ageing Café.

Themes/descriptor and subthemes:	Bob	Doreen	Maggie	Lydia
1. It felt good doing art work – an accumulation of positive influences of art-making on mood and identity	✓	✓	✓	✓
(a) I hadn’t thought I can do anything like that – the confidence building qualities of art-making towards a transformed sense of self	✓	✓	✓	✓
(b) Doing something which I thought I had done well – the positive experience of pride and achievement	✓	✓	✓	✓
(c) Get the creative side coming out – an opportunity for spontaneous self-expression	✓	✓	✓	✓
2. Enjoying being together – group interaction motivates participation	✓	✓	✓	✓
(a) It was collective – finding camaraderie in a shared collective experience	✓	✓	✓	✓
(b) Encourage each other along – the mutual beneficial effect of reciprocity which sustained participation	✓	✓	✓	✓
(c) It was the atmosphere – the multi-faceted role of the facilitators in creating a conducive environment.	✓	✓	✓	✓
3. It was a sort of a respite thing – the carers’ art group as a space of freedom to allow carers to do their own things	✓	✓	✓	✓
4. Easier to care – influence of the creative arts groups on caregiving	✓	✗	✓	✓
5. Wasn’t long enough – limitations of the carers’ art programme	✗	✓	✓	✓