Posted by Bunny (151.201.247.223) on April 30, 2004 at 00:01:49:
In Reply to: sensory stim for comatose residents posted by Angela on April 29, 2004 at 19:02:43:
I like to use the small fountains with chimes, I find them very relaxing and hope that they do. You can buy battery operated ones. Some fountains now can have scents added to them also. I always ask family members for special scents they might identify with, have them bring in a special cologne of the residents or of their loved one...you only need a bit of it in a film canister on cotton to expose them to it. Even better is to put a SMALL amount of it on their clothing where they will smell it. Err on the side of too little with this item. Imagine having all of your stimulation limited and all of a sudden there is this smell you cannot excape! I also have family members give me a list of favorite music, or at the very least types of music. I play this softly at scheduled times of the day, in the am during tube feeding for instance. You might play a relaxing one before lights out time. An important aspect of this type of sensory stim is that all staff should be involved, not just activity staff. Anyone can put a tape on for them to listen to. Anyone can provide gentle therapeutic touch during care......