Norwood’s Complementary Services and Assistive Technology Team joined forces to successfully bid for funding from the Karten Network. We wanted to expand our use of technology to provide additional wellbeing opportunities with a focus on reaching more people with complex needs. The aim of the project was to provide a tranquil, flexible space that could be adapted to allow different themes and activities. This would enhance services by providing new opportunities alongside combining new technology with some existing activities increasing reach and meeting a wider range of needs.
We had already seen the benefits of assistive technology from the work undertaken by Norwood’s Assistive Technology Team and felt that by adding further technology we could positively enhance social opportunities that would stimulate interest, curiosity, engagement and experiential learning; immersing people in an alternative world where they can relax and express themselves freely while exploring their visual, auditory, tactile and olfactory senses. This approach would give the opportunity for the people we work with to experience Mindfulness in a way that is meaningful to them; allowing them a space to just be, in the present moment with the aim to relieve stress and enhance the sense of wellbeing. By combining the new equipment funded by the Karten Network with existing sensory resources we have been able to create the beautiful environments featured.
Project Launch
Hanukkah Celebration Week commencing 3rd December 2018.
We wanted to launch the project with a fanfare and make sure we quickly captured people’s imaginations and interest. Therefore the launch was combined with the week of the Hanukkah Fair which provided a range of other activities which we knew would attract people maximising the footfall and encouraging people to engage.
The theme chosen to celebrate was Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins. This sensory story experience was constructed based on the story by Eric Kimmel. The tented area was dressed as the old Synagogue on the hill using printed shower curtains, metallic fabrics and space blankets. Fake vines tumbled over the window and doorway. The area was lit using battery operated candles and tube lights.
To open the Synagogue door a Big Mack switch was pressed to give a creaky sound. Inside the Synagogue were various sensory items, a Goblin throne with colour changing light up cushion, a jar of Hanukkah Gilt, a jar with the smell of pickles and some puppets to represent the Goblin inhabitants. Spaces outside of the tented area reflected wintry village scenes, around which were spaced interactive cause and effect toys such as dancing and singing snowmen, light up spinning Dreidels and other snowy themed objects. Fake snow was chilled in the freezer and used as a tactile sensory prop. In the corner sat the King of the Goblins, a home made life size puppet. Apps on the Interactive Magic Carpet and different sounds were used to enhance and add atmosphere to details of the story.
Winter Wonderland Theme 14th – 31st January
Winter Wonderland was a homemade sensory tale based around waking up in the morning, drawing back the curtains to be surprised by a new world covered in snow. Events then proceeded from feeding the cause and effect singing birds to trekking through the snow to the park to meet with friends, having a snowball fight and building a snowman. The tented area was turned into an ice cave using foil blankets, battery operated blue fibre optic lights. Inside the cave lived the interactive dancing polar bear.
A total of 34 individual sessions were offered lasting up to an hour each and were available to be booked on a 1-1 or group basis. Take up was excellent and 19 individuals benefitted visiting the space for a total of 37 visits.
In addition when the opportunity arose spontaneous sessions were offered encouraging people who may not have booked the session or might have been reluctant to engage. This enabled a further 8 people to participate on 18 separate occasions.
Journey into Space Theme 11th – 28th February
Our journey to space was another homemade story. We blasted off on our mission to Jupiter using a countdown on a Big Mack switch. This time the tented area was dressed as a space capsule using printed images of the control panels with the infinity tunnel to add depth to the controls. The surrounding areas were decorated with images of space, inflatable planets, fibre optics, projections onto an umbrella and various light effect and tactile space themed sensory items. Drama was created during the telling of the story using interactive apps on the Magic Carpet such as Asteroid Storm.
A total of 30 individual sessions were offered which lasted up to an hour each and were available to be booked on a 1-1 or group basis. Take up was excellent and 15 individuals benefitted visiting the space for a total of 32 visits.
In addition when the opportunity arose spontaneous sessions were offered encouraging people who may not have booked a session or might have initially been reluctant to engage. This enabled a further 8 people to participate on 11 separate occasions.
Lenny
Lenny who is now in his 70’s has lived at Norwood Ravenswood Village since he was a very young man. He used to be very active, attending many of the different activities and classes that were provided by the on-site team. He not only enjoyed the challenges of the activities but also loved to chat to his staff, volunteers and friends.
Unfortunately, Lenny now has the onset of Dementia which is affecting his ability to engage and participate. He can become very anxious and confused at times, finding it difficult to focus or relax. Lenny was referred by his home to access the sensory space as it was thought that it could be beneficial to his well being.
At first, Lenny was very unwilling to come in. Therefore the approach taken was to bring smaller sensory items to him while he spent time in the Café with the idea to trigger some interest from Lenny and at the same time building a relationship with him so he felt more comfortable. A very life like cat puppet was used to engage Lenny as he loves to interact with the puppet, petting it and talking to it. This helped Lenny to relax and he was more willing to go into the sensory space if he knew the cat was going to be there.
With support, Lenny is now accessing the space on a regular basis. He has been very engaged, exploring and experimenting with many of the sensory items that are presented to him. Often within the sensory storytelling there is something that will trigger a memory which he likes to discuss. The most profound impact for Lenny has been that he has found a tranquil space inside the inner tent where he has chosen to sit and relax quite comfortably for periods of time. He likes to observe the colouring changing lights and took a particular liking to a very soft tactile mood cushion which has colour changing lights.
Chris
Chris is a young man who has attended Norwood’s Ravenswood Village on a daily basis for a number of years to participate in Complementary Service activities. He is a very social young man who is always anxious to communicate with you. He likes to give you eye contact, communicating through gesture and vocalisation and he likes it when you sign good morning to him. Frequently he will sign back and offer you the most wonderful smile.
Chris spends quite a lot of time in the Café area with some of his peers doing different activities. Over a period of time, he had been observing people going in and out of the sensory space. He kept looking over, appearing very interested. I started to invite him in on a regular basis to experience the new environments and explore some of the sensory items. He has demonstrated a particular interest in the magic carpet. He likes to release his feet from his footplates and use his foot movements to cause a change on the magic carpet. With changing responses of movement, sound or colour on the magic carpet to his movements his actions become more targeted. His pace and frequency of movement will change if he finds it very amusing. He will enthusiastically lift his arms and laugh with delight.
Another aspect of the sensory stories that has appealed to Chris’s playful nature has been the use of puppets. He likes you to interact with him using the puppet. Using gesture he will request to activate the puppet himself then will attempt to mirror your actions with the puppet placed on his hand. When using the puppets he has also initiated interactions with some of his peers.
Benefits of Social interaction
One of the benefits of having a very special sensory place where people can come together to participate in a sensory story with peers or simply immerse themselves in a sensory, imaginative world has been the new opportunities for social engagement. When coming into the space people tend to relax and lose some of their inhibitions. Many very positive interactions have taken place between the people we support and staff as a result.
Mark Hunt, Operations Manager at Ravenswood said, ‘The service is well used and enjoyed by many of the people living at Ravenswood because the equipment is easily adaptable to meet the wide variety of needs that people have. The themed sessions are very well received and can be tailored to meet the sensory needs of the people in the session so that everyone is involved as much as they want to.’
This is a living project that has been designed to grow and evolve to reflect the interests of those participating, therefore, we have only just begun the journey. The scope is unlimited and we are really excited to continue on our path.
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- This article was written by the Norwood Ravenswood Karten Centre
- Featured in the Karten Spring 2019 Newsletter
- This article is listed in the following subject areas: Centre News