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The Power of Sensory Therapies for Those with Dementia

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Our senses – taste, smell, touch, sight and sound – are the primary ways that we experience and enjoy life. Think of the joy of running your fingers through a cat’s fur, or hearing the birds sing, feeling the wind on your face or eating a delicious meal. Our senses play such an important role in our well-being, and this is particularly true for individuals with dementia, especially those in the late stages of the disease.

“During the later stages of dementia, a person’s ability to communicate, talk and perform tasks becomes greatly diminished,” says Chrissy Ross, Executive Director of Bridges® by EPOCH at Mashpee. “They are still the same people they once were and their core self remains intact, but they primarily experience the world through their senses. This is why sensory therapy is beneficial for helping connect and enrich lives.”

Sensory therapy uses activation of one or more of a person’s senses through deliberate measures. Therapies can be as simple as a calming hand massage using scented lotion, or playing music that is meaningful to the individual. There are also more complicated activities that combine a variety of techniques to provide a sensory experience that calls up positive emotions and memories.

“At its heart, sensory therapy is a way for caregivers and loved ones of those with dementia to communicate with them and share their caring and love,” says Chrissy. “This helps provide dignity and well-being to those in the late stages of the disease, providing comfort and quality of life during this time.”

 

Why Sensory Therapies Are So Powerful

Our brains and nervous systems are always humming with electrical activity that responds to the world around us. If you look at the scan of a healthy brain, you can observe how different areas of the brain “light up” in response to different forms of stimulation. This is what allows us to respond and communicate with the world around us, even if we don’t realize it. Since our brains are always active, we actually need that stimulation in order to thrive and live our best lives. Think of it like exercise for our brains – if the stimulation doesn’t occur, we don’t function as well.

While a healthy brain can handle the sensory barrage we get from our everyday lives, people with dementia lose the ability to selectively sort through the stimulation and thus can become increasingly overwhelmed and overstimulated in different situations. This can lead to unwanted behaviors that manifest through anxiety, fear, hallucinations and more. Eventually, those with dementia also lose the ability to experience certain sensations, which leads to even more confusion, difficulty communicating and other issues.

Sensory therapy gives people with dementia an avenue to express themselves in ways other than words and more traditional forms of communication. Sensory stimulation can help individuals relax, boost their mood, improve their well-being and self-esteem and even evoke memories. For example, if a senior with dementia was raised on a farm, an item like a bundle of straw or a feather from a chicken can bring back memories of their childhood. Feeling the texture of the item can strengthen and boost cognitive abilities, even if the individual doesn’t recognize it.

This phenomenon is particularly obvious when using music therapy as a form of sensory stimulation. Many instances have been recorded of individuals in the late stage of dementia who, when favorite or important songs from their past have been played, have been able to sing, clap their hands and sometimes even carry on communication for some time – even if they have progressed to the very end stages of the disease. Research has discovered that the part of the brain where music is stored is one of the very last parts of the brain affected by dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease and can help boost overall function and recall, at least for a little while.

While sensory stimulation can help those in the earlier stages of dementia communicate, in the later stages it is mainly used as an opportunity to provide comfort and quality of life, as well as an opportunity for caregivers to express caring. Here are the different types of sensory stimulation and their benefits, as well as suggestions of activities for those with late stage dementia.

 

Sound

Listening to a range of sounds, from natural sounds to music, is a great tool for mood enhancement, relaxation and boosting cognition. Sound is also an excellent way to evoke a particular mood or feeling. People with dementia naturally have hearing problems, so it’s important to remember to adjust sounds as necessary (without doing anything that might harm or damage eardrums). Here are some ways to practice auditory sensory therapy.

  • Listen to favorite songs that have meaning to the individual or might remind them of certain times of their life.
  • Read a favorite book out loud.
  • Play soothing, natural sounds like birds singing, a gentle rainfall, a waterfall or other sensory environments that may evoke memories or feelings.

 

Touch

Touching objects can both be soothing and increase cognition, especially if the object is related to something that is tied to the individual’s past memories or interests. Many memory care assisted living communities use fiddle boards or other objects (similar those sometimes used for individuals with autism) as ways to calm or boost moods. Here are some suggestions for tactile stimulation:

  • Create a tactline environment using items that you would find in the environment naturally.
  • Provide objects that relate to your loved one’s past, like a box of buttons if she was a seamstress, or different carpentry tools (that would be safe) if he enjoyed woodworking.
  • Objects don’t have to necessarily have particular meaning in order to be useful. Objects like fruits, feathers, stuffed animals, different types of fabric, pinecones and others can be used to wake up the nerve endings and provide sensory stimulation.

 

Sight

Vision is one of the most important ways that we gain information about the world, but unfortunately those in the late stage of the disease can’t necessarily see and process much of anything. However, the optic nerves are oftentimes still functioning, and there are several activities that can be beneficial even if it’s not necessarily visible. Light therapy can help stabilize circadian rhythm, and also increases serotonin and vitamin D levels, all of which reduce stress and increase happiness.

 

Smell

Scent is incredibly strongly tied to our memories, and just a whiff of a favorite scent can transport you back in time to a favorite memory. Aromatherapy is used in memory care communities for just this reason. Oftentimes scent is paired with another sense, like touch, such as when giving a soothing hand or foot massage with scented lotion. Scent bottles are another great way to provide this form of stimulation in a safe way.

 

Taste

In the later stages of dementia, your loved one may not be able to eat a wide variety of foods. However, basic taste sensations do remain (salt, sugar, bitter, sour). Look for ways to promote taste through safe, easy-to-manage foods.

 

Peace of Mind for Cape Cod Seniors and Their Families

Bridges® by EPOCH at Mashpee provides memory care assisted living that is comfortable, positive, safe and engaging. Exclusively dedicated to caring for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, our community creates a wellness-focused lifestyle that promotes dignity, respects individual preferences and makes a truly positive impact on the lives of our residents each and every day.

 

Dedicated Memory Care

Bridges® by EPOCH at Mashpee offers compassionate dementia care and unique programs that are tailored to meet the physical, cognitive and emotional needs of each resident – throughout every stage of disease progression. Residents can age in place comfortably and with dignity, while families gain peace of mind.

 

Supportive, Engaging Services

At Bridges® by EPOCH at Mashpee, we offer a program of care and services that celebrates life and supports individual strengths. Our compassionate and engaging approach adapts to the unique challenges and individuality of each resident. Our memory care professionals receive specialized and ongoing training designed to help residents maximize their independence in a secure, calm environment.

Bridges® by EPOCH is New England’s largest stand-alone memory care assisted living provider.

 

Contact us today to learn more.

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