Holly Oak Dementia Care Home has teamed up with local designer Samboards to provide an innovative new sensory tool for dementia care. Samboards recently released a new product line of sensory pads which have a range of benefits for brain function, including reducing the effects of cognitive conditions such as dementia.
The sensory pads work by promoting new, positive cognitive responses and new brain pathways when they are held and touched. They do this by distracting the brain from negative feelings and emotions, thus allowing endorphins to be released.
When used, the seven textures on the pads can be used to support breathing exercises, improve concentration, improve hand control and motor skills, and produce a generally calming effect.
The collaboration between Samboards and Holly Oak marks another step forward for dementia care, because the sensory pads have the added benefit of promoting memory building and retrieval. When using the pad, the brain is experiencing something different and new, allowing new brain pathways to be built. The more pathways the brain has, the more accessible routes your thoughts can take, which makes brain ageing and memory loss less noticeable. Tactile sensors often become under stimulated in older age, particularly in people living with dementia. The sensory pads allow brain sensitivity to be rebuilt, which can ameliorate dementia-induced cognitive brain impairment.
The sensory pads have induced an overwhelmingly positive reaction amongst residents at Holly Oak. As well as helping with memory loss and cognitive impairments, the pads have been shown to relieve anxiety and generally provide feelings of comfort, which emphasises the wide range of benefits the pads can provide to elderly care.
Holly Oak has worked keenly with Samboards to ensure that the sensory pads are tailored to their residents. Currently Holly Oak is assisting with the development of bed-mounted sensory pads for those residents with postural difficulties or reduced mobility.
Andy Western from Samboards and Duncan Pyne, Registered Manager at Holly Oak aim to collaborate on potential future products, and are together extremely enthusiastic about the positive difference these developments could make for people living with dementia.
This dedication to provide the best care possible marks a heartening display of support from local businesses and shows the local community coming together to support their elderly population. The difference this new sensory technology could make to a difficult and challenging later life condition such as dementia is immeasurable. Holly Oak is proud to be at the forefront of such innovative change, and excited to provide new developments to residents.
Visit Samboards for more information, and for more information on caring for people living with dementia, see our specialist Dementia care services.