Care staff at Meridian Healthcare have introduced the use of an innovative sensory programme to improve communication for people with dementia related conditions.

The group has chosen to implement activities based on ‘Sonas Activating Potential for Communication (aPc)’. Sandon House’s Veronica Hibbert and Alan Martin have been working with the training team from the Sonas aPc group to carry out group workshops that aim to stimulate resident’s senses, provoke reminiscence and most of all share a smile whilst enjoying the fun activities.

Sonas aPc was created in 1990 by Sister Mary Threadgold, a Dublin based Sister of Charity and language therapist, she pioneered the programme out of concern about the lack of stimulation for older people with dementia in residential care.

There is strong scientific evidence that supports the link between communication and the various senses. Sr Threadgold drew upon her experience as a language therapist, where she had found music and touch to be very effective when communicating with young people with intellectual disabilities and adapted the approach, structure and repetition of the exercises to suit an older audience.

The Sonas aPc approach brings together the concepts of stimulating all the senses to produce a group or a one to one session, the essential features of which are sensory, social and cognitive. The use of a pre recorded CD enables the session leader to focus solely on the needs of the group and provides a repetitive structure to each session. The sessions also allow the leaders to be creative in their approach, Veronica comments: ‘We try to keep the main structure of the sessions the same but to incorporate different fun activities, so far we have enjoyed a sing- a- long, dancing and Alan organised a session with a variety of fruit juice cocktails for the group to sample, identify the taste and reminisce as to what the tastes reminded them of.’ She adds: ‘So far the sessions have been a big hit and there is always demand for the date of the next one.’

Alan comments: ‘We have seen a difference in our resident’s behaviour since the launch of the Sonas sessions; we have a number of residents who often become agitated and quite restless during the day, however they have responded very well to the calming music and will now sit down and participate throughout the session. We had one lady recite 3 verses of her favourite poem from childhood, usually she would constantly walk around the home, yet she sat down calmly, interacted with the group and was all smiles. We have been keeping a record of behaviour change and it is great to see the positive effect Sonas is having.

Following the success of the Sonas trial at Sandon House, Fir Trees, Kingsfield, Holme Lea and The Sycamores Meridian Healthcare hopes to roll out the training programme in the other 20 homes around the north west.

Ends.
• Photographs show Senior Care Assistant Alan Martin, staff and residents at Sandon House enjoying a Sonas session.

Notes:
• Meridian Healthcare own 25 Care Centres throughout the North of England.

• Website: www.meridiancare.co.uk

• For more information on Sonas aPc visit: www.sonasapc.ie

For further information please contact: Tessa Matthews, Meridian Healthcare, 0161 368 9099 tmatthews@meridiancare.co.uk