Sensory Table

1.  Menu Designed ForDementia urSensoryTablehas47differentactivitiesforseniorstoexploreanddiscovertheonethatthey joy themost. hile we often think of dementia in terms of limitations, seniors with dementia are still capable of rticipationandexperiencinghappiness.Infact,thosearecrucialtomaintainingqualityoflifethrough OUR SENSORY TABLE eeeettiinngg ppssyycchhoollooggiiccaall nneeeeddsstthhaatt ssttiillllrreemmaaiinn.. ee ffoouurr pprriimmaarryy bbeenneeffiicciiaall aaccttiivviittiieess IItt iiss eesssseennttiiaall ttoo pprroovviiddee ooppppoorrttuunniittiieess ffoorr ssoocciiaall eennggaaggeemmeenntt,, moottiioonnaall ccoonnnneeccttiioonn,, sseellff--eexxpprreessssiioonn,, aannddeennccoouurraaggeemmeenntt ooff tthhee aaccttiivvaattiioonn ooffmmeemmoorriieess..

2. SIMPLESENSORY 20 meaningful activities designed with no right or wrong answers, only different perspectives. Well researched activities to encourageconversation!

7. SENSORYEFFECTS 23 Activities designed to let you explore lights, motion, andpatterns.

8. SHOPPINGTIME

9. This activity is designed to give a shopping list of either groceries or hardware. You find the six items on your list to complete the activity. There are 4 shopping lists in eachcategory. SENSORYVISION Designed to help bring back memories from the past by viewing videos of past trips (Paris, NewYork), past activities like gardening or watching nature scenes like the mountains, lakes or oceans – relaxing reminiscencevideos. THERE ARE FOUR PRIMARYBENEFICIAL ACTIVITIES:

11. SENSORYSTIMULATION Even in late-stage dementia, when reasoning and language see a decline, the sensesremain.

12. Hearing, sight, taste, touch, and smell can be used to interact and connect with these seniorsfor their psychological well-being. This can include music for auditory stimulation, aromatherapyto reach their sense of smell, materials to touch and hold for tactile stimulation, colorful and moving objects to capture the eye, and even familiar flavors for the tastebuds. ARTISTICIMPRESSION Having dementia can feel limiting and stressful, while art offers an opportunity for expression in which there is no wrong or forgotten answer. Research shows that art programs for seniorswith dementia offer reduced behavioral problems and improved quality oflife. SOCIALENGAGEMENT The desire to engage and contribute socially remains for seniors who can feel isolated due to dementia. It is beneficial for them to remain engaged with others. Simple games and tasks donein pairs or a group can help to provide this essential requirement to reducedepression. REMINISCENCETHERAPY Reminiscence is about triggering memories and telling stories from the past. While memoriesbegin to fade with dementia, long-term memories often remain, meaning that the past is a good place to start. It is important to incorporate old personal photographs, videos, and other memorytriggers. NEWS Purposeful Activities forDementia

13. Having a sense of purpose and engaging in meaningful activities contribute to our well being and help us to feel positive about ourselves. This is the same for people with dementia. A loss in memory does not mean that we lose our sense of self or the ability to engage with others or do activities. Creatingmeaningful engagementMeaningful and purposeful activities can be done alone as well as in social groups. Bothare important in their own ways. But how do we determine what is meaningful? For the answer, we have to look to the individual. We need to learn about them, their life story, their interests, their goals, what they have taken pride in, their preferred activities, the roles they have played in their life, and what is important to them. This can be done by speaking to them, as well as their loved ones. From that, we can begin to build a pictureof what type of activities they may be comfortable with and find purposein. CreateActivities Once you have enough information, it is time to develop group and individual activities that will fit the needs and abilities of those involved. Choose activities in which your participants are likely to succeed, and that will help to improve their self-esteem. Find rolls within group activities that will work on their individual natural strengths and help them to feel useful and that what they are doing is helpful and has a purpose. You can encourage and support participation by making things simple and easy to approach. Leave clear and concise instructions and signage to act as reminders, make sure that rooms are brightly lit, and that colors are bright and contrastingto

14. help with sight. It is also important to reduce clutter to help with retaining focus and to make movementeasier. Most importantly, approach each individual and activity with encouragement, positivity, andrespect. Discovering Strengths andLimitations It is important to ask questions and test for abilities to discover what each person is comfortable managing. However, this should be done in a low-pressure way that does not leave the individual feeling like they are being judged ortested. This can often be done through observation when individuals are involved in natural daily activities, such as having a meal with others. Instead of overtly testing, you can ask questions that show an interest in theperson and the activities in which they already findhappiness. When testing abilities, take an approach that leaves them feeling as if they are offering assistance and being helpful. For example, ask them for help in determining if a font size you are working on is big enough tobe read by others, rather than asking if they can read it. Engage them in a natural way in which they feel that they are offering their authority and wisdom. This will create the building blocks for encouraging and developing their sense of purpose while also helping you to determine what activities will work best for the individual.

15. All of our facilities should have a Sensory Table for our residents. DIRECTOR OFCARE It was nice to see my mom smiling with amazement as she used the Sensory Table. RESIDENT'SDAUGHTER The Sensory Table reminds me of watering the garden on thefarm. LONG TERM CARERESIDENT Contact Us For MoreInformation  1.888.258.6659  info@oursensorytable.com Distributed in Canadaby: