People With Dementia Responding to Sensory Therapy Rooms

Certain senior living communities in Florida are running Multi-Sensory Environments as therapeutic tools for residents with dementia, reports Florida Today . These settings are typically equipped with total blackout capabilities, including lighting effects like bubble lamps, fiber optics, mirror balls, and projectors that diffuse light patterns throughout the room. Other accoutrements include interactive wall panels with changing textures to encourage a tactile experience, sound effects such as calming music and nature sounds, rhythmical music, and environmental control systems like vibrating toys. Such sensoriums are used for Snoezelen therapy, designed to relax and alleviate participants' agitation and anxiety while also enhancing beneficiary-caregiver engagement. The Chateau Madeleine community in Suntree, Fla., recently incorporated a Snoezelen sensorium for use with people with Alzheimer's and dementia. "The benefits to the resident ... include greater awareness and attention along with an overall improvement in quality of life," says Kristen Malfara of the nonprofit M.O.R.G.A.N. project.