Senior citizens need to feel the dirt on their hands when they tend a garden. They need to smell just out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies and apple pie. They need to hear the sounds that have made them happy throughout their lives, such as their favorite songs. At Homeplace, we encourage our residents, including our memory care residents, to continue to be as active as they can, and that includes gardening, cooking, creating art, and listening to music—and dancing along if they want to. We don’t want our residents to feel like they’re held back in any way. So we have an arts and craft area. We have gardening areas. We have multiple areas where residents can cook. Throughout a resident’s stay at Homeplace, they will be encouraged to remain hands-on as much as possible.
But some residents, especially our memory care residents, are not able to partake in the rigor of these types of activities. That’s where sensory rooms can truly add to the enjoyment of their lives. Our sensory rooms are designed especially for our residents with dementia or Alzheimer’s. The rooms are designed to allow for safe exploration, while also stimulating all five senses. One researcher we admire says that… “soft textiles, familiar everyday objects, interesting things to smell and taste, sound and film” can all play a role in a sensory room.
Much of the research done on sensory rooms show that an abundance of positive feelings and emotions result from them. Sometimes seniors who have dementia may stop communicating verbally and their everyday activities may also decrease. Having a sensory room available allows them to continue to find an outlet to express themselves. We work with family members to determine their favorite movies and songs from their youth, and we make sure they experience the films and music. We also work with family members to find particular items from a resident’s life, perhaps an old baseball mitt or dancing shoes. We find subtle smells that could spring memories within a resident. Developing sensory rooms, and working with families to do that, is all part of our person-centered approach. Much of the success of a sensory room depends on the help we get from family members.
Research has shown that sensory rooms are a small and subtle way to improve a resident’s life. They are proven to evoke memories and warm feelings among residents, and we see it every day, even if our residents can’t verbally communicate that to us. We understand that through their smiles and improved moods.
Senior citizens need to feel the dirt on their hands when they tend a garden. They need to smell just out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies and apple pie. They need to hear the sounds that have made them happy throughout their lives, such as their favorite songs. At Homeplace, we encourage our residents, including our memory care residents, to continue to be as active as they can, and that includes gardening, cooking, creating art, and listening to music—and dancing along if they want to. We don’t want our residents to feel like they’re held back in any way. So we have an arts and craft area. We have gardening areas. We have multiple areas where residents can cook. Throughout a resident’s stay at Homeplace, they will be encouraged to remain hands-on as much as possible.
But some residents, especially our memory care residents, are not able to partake in the rigor of these types of activities. That’s where sensory rooms can truly add to the enjoyment of their lives. Our sensory rooms are designed especially for our residents with dementia or Alzheimer’s. The rooms are designed to allow for safe exploration, while also stimulating all five senses. One researcher we admire says that… “soft textiles, familiar everyday objects, interesting things to smell and taste, sound and film” can all play a role in a sensory room.
Much of the research done on sensory rooms show that an abundance of positive feelings and emotions result from them. Sometimes seniors who have dementia may stop communicating verbally and their everyday activities may also decrease. Having a sensory room available allows them to continue to find an outlet to express themselves. We work with family members to determine their favorite movies and songs from their youth, and we make sure they experience the films and music. We also work with family members to find particular items from a resident’s life, perhaps an old baseball mitt or dancing shoes. We find subtle smells that could spring memories within a resident. Developing sensory rooms, and working with families to do that, is all part of our person-centered approach. Much of the success of a sensory room depends on the help we get from family members.
Research has shown that sensory rooms are a small and subtle way to improve a resident’s life. They are proven to evoke memories and warm feelings among residents, and we see it every day, even if our residents can’t verbally communicate that to us. We understand that through their smiles and improved moods.
Senior citizens need to feel the dirt on their hands when they tend a garden. They need to smell just out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies and apple pie. They need to hear the sounds that have made them happy throughout their lives, such as their favorite songs. At Homeplace, we encourage our residents, including our memory care residents, to continue to be as active as they can, and that includes gardening, cooking, creating art, and listening to music—and dancing along if they want to. We don’t want our residents to feel like they’re held back in any way. So we have an arts and craft area. We have gardening areas. We have multiple areas where residents can cook. Throughout a resident’s stay at Homeplace, they will be encouraged to remain hands-on as much as possible.
But some residents, especially our memory care residents, are not able to partake in the rigor of these types of activities. That’s where sensory rooms can truly add to the enjoyment of their lives. Our sensory rooms are designed especially for our residents with dementia or Alzheimer’s. The rooms are designed to allow for safe exploration, while also stimulating all five senses. One researcher we admire says that… “soft textiles, familiar everyday objects, interesting things to smell and taste, sound and film” can all play a role in a sensory room.
Much of the research done on sensory rooms show that an abundance of positive feelings and emotions result from them. Sometimes seniors who have dementia may stop communicating verbally and their everyday activities may also decrease. Having a sensory room available allows them to continue to find an outlet to express themselves. We work with family members to determine their favorite movies and songs from their youth, and we make sure they experience the films and music. We also work with family members to find particular items from a resident’s life, perhaps an old baseball mitt or dancing shoes. We find subtle smells that could spring memories within a resident. Developing sensory rooms, and working with families to do that, is all part of our person-centered approach. Much of the success of a sensory room depends on the help we get from family members.
Research has shown that sensory rooms are a small and subtle way to improve a resident’s life. They are proven to evoke memories and warm feelings among residents, and we see it every day, even if our residents can’t verbally communicate that to us. We understand that through their smiles and improved moods.
To contact the Homeplace of Henderson, email Jessica Beaven at jessica.beaven@homeplaceofhenderson.com or call at (270) 577-0534.