The Sensory Room at Browns Field House provides both physical and mental stimulus for residents. It's a calm space and in recent months, families and friends have used the room as a private space to visit their loved ones after some time apart in lockdown.
The room was built in October 2019, making it almost 1 year old. Browns Field House is one of our smaller homes, so it was an exciting moment for everyone when the sensory room was built. At the moment the room is being used as a space for both activities and family visits to take place. It’s a spacious area where residents and families can catch up in private.
The room is usually used for one-to-one time with residents, activities in small groups of 3 or 4 and a place for residents to relax by themselves or with others.
Diana Albuquerque, Manager at Browns Field House said "Families and fiends who're visiting residents in the sensory room are able to follow social distancing as well as enjoy a catch-up with their loved one.
"The room was gifted to us last year thanks to a kind donation of £50k from an anonymous family member of one of our residents. Thanks to this generous donation, we were able to build a peaceful space for residents, as opposed to the communal rooms we have within the actual house. Most recently, the room has recently allowed residents to spend some long awaited and much needed time with their loved ones."
"All sorts of activities take place in the room, from painting, claywork, writing and drawing, to jigsaws and cinema time." Diana added. "It also creates a space that can provide 1:1 or small sessions with residents."
The room is ideal for people with dementia or Alzheimer's, as some older people can find it difficult to work in big groups.
Sensory rooms can enhance feelings of comfort and well-being, relieve stress and maximise focus, all of which help improve communication and memory. At Abbeyfield, it is of the upmost importance to us to enhance the lives of older people, and sensory rooms definitely help us achieve this.