‘Magic tables’ bring joy and laughter to care homes
/in Case Study, News/by Soorj GillSquashing tomatoes, splashing in rock pools and popping bubbles are just some of the activities residents living in MHA care homes are starting to enjoy thanks to new technology which is helping spark conversations and stimulate activity.
Homes are investing in interactive, motion-activated sensory projection systems which support residents living with dementia – and the effect on residents, their families and staff has been amazing.
With the goal of stimulating, engaging and relaxing the mind, the projection technology, which is manufactured in the UK and nicknamed ‘magic tables’, comes equipped with quizzes, music and themes that have been designed to prompt conversations, spark nostalgia and maintain memory. Its use of therapeutic scenes and sounds which derive from nature have been known to instantly promote feelings of calm for residents living with dementia.
Through this motion-activated technology, residents can reach out to crack an egg and make a cake, grow a flower simply by touching it, and even dip their toes in the water as the tide rolls in – all without leaving the sense of security that their own room provides. This is made possible by the equipment’s portable and height-adjustable properties which are able to project coloured streams of light onto any table, bed or floor.
For some residents living with dementia, their ability to speak or socialise with others can become a struggle. But with this new activity that all generations can enjoy, including children and their grandparents alike, staff at MHA care homes have been able work with residents like never before.
Langholme care home in Falmouth is one of the first homes to have the equipment and one of the few care homes in the South West to offer this technology.
Maria Brown, Home Manager, said: “I first noticed the effect one of these projection games could have when a company came to demonstrate it at our Summer Fair last year, after seeing one of our dementia residents, who was visibly distressed at the number of people around her, immediately become immersed in the interactive game.
“After that, I remember telling our team that we simply had to have one, whatever it takes.”
Administration Manager Kate Bateson adds: “Here at MHA Langholme, we understand the benefits that social interaction has on the day-to-day lives of our residents. The effect this technology has isn’t like anything I have ever seen before – its ability to soothe and engage residents is enough to bring a tear to anyone’s eye.”
Another home to be among the first to use the tables is Claybourne in Stoke on Trent. Kerry Rafferty, Home Manager, said: “I observed the residents who were using the table to be in total wellbeing. There were residents who usually have minimal ability to engage in activities for long periods totally engrossed in the table’s fun.”
Lauren Till, Activity Coordinator, added: “The ‘magic table’ enhances the live of residents on a daily basis by enabling them to use their sensory skills to interact through touch, sound and sight. Residents are engaged for a longer period of time that helps reduce their anxiety and bring them into well-being.”
Some of our other homes with the magic table include The Fairways at Chippenham, The Meadow in London, and Lower Johnshill at Auchlochan Garden Village.
MHA’s Operation Manager for Dementia David Moore said: “The tables provide endless possibilities for residents, their families and staff to enjoy activities together. The technology is portable, meaning everyone within the home can enjoy it.”
Click the link below to view the original case study posted by MHA.
MacIntyre Supported Living
/in Case Study/by Simon GurneyMacIntyre are a charity that support and empower young adults with learning disabilities to live lives that make sense to them. We are thrilled to hear that our Mobii Interactive Projector has brought so much joy to their Supported Living schemes across Shropshire kindly provided by Shropshire Adult Care Services.
MacIntyre Area Manager Rowan Jackson told us:
‘The Mobii Interactive Floor Projector has been just amazing and is in huge demand across all our services’.
She goes on to explain that many of the people they support are non-verbal, but it is clear from their ‘giggles, smiles and general excitement’ how much they are ‘enjoying interacting with the games, music and activities.’
One of the unexpected benefits, she tells us, has been the extra exercise it has encouraged, with one gentleman losing a significant amount of excess weight due to his regular use of the system. Rowan said the feedback they’ve received from staff running the sessions has been hugely positive with many commenting on ‘how easy it is to use and how much they’ve enjoyed seeing the fun it brings given the restricted times everyone is living in’.MacIntyre, Shropshire have written to tell us that the portable Mobii system has been a ‘huge success and is enjoyed by everyone’. They currently share one of our Mobii mobile systems across many services but are hopeful that they will be able to have more systems to support the people they work with soon.
Rowan Jackson, Area Manager, MacIntyre, Shropshire.
Find out more about how MacIntyre are empowering people with disabilities providing learning, support and care for more than 1,200 children, young people and adults who have a learning disability and / or autism. MacIntyre Shropshire provide two Care Homes and Supported Living where the priority is to ensure the people they support take part in meaningful activities every day.
To find out more about how OMi’s omiVista interactive sensory projection systems can improve your quality of care contact us or arrange a demonstration.
Speeding up recovery with interactive play
/in Case Study/by Simon GurneyCase Study: Birmingham Children’s Hospital
Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (BCH) provides a comprehensive service to children, young people and their families. One of the leading paediatric teaching centres in the country, the BCH carries out internationally renowned research and development in many clinical areas including childhood cancer, nutrition, growth and metabolism; infant brain tumours; and studies into the efficacy, safety and optimisation of drug use in children.
With a 280 bed capacity for in-patients and day-cases, as well as an emergency department dealing with over 45,000 patients a year, the hospital is a very busy place and Jane Cotterill, Renal Services Manager on Ward 1, is always looking out for opportunities to provide the children in her care with new activities that they could do by themselves that would help with their recovery and stimulate them into doing more exercise.
After visiting the OM Interactive (OMi) stand at the Naidex show at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre, Jane was convinced that OMi’s interactive systems were just what they needed on the ward and that they could deliver really good benefits for her patients: “The systems offered something completely different to anything I’d seen before and one of the immediate attractions was that the kids would get a really exciting experience but there was nothing for them to break.”
“Using the omiVista activities is exciting and such fun that the children forget all about the potential pain and are exercising without even thinking about it.”
The Renal Services ward installed the first OMi interactive projection system, omiVista in its play area in 2009 and it has been used every day since. Jane says the system is so popular that if they haven’t switched it on then the children are coming to them and asking them to. This in itself is a major achievement as normally many of the children just lie in bed or go for little walks around the ward: “Post–surgery, many of the children have limited mobility and are frightened to move around as they think it will hurt. Jane explains. The OMi system has really helped with this as it is a real carrot to get them out of bed, which helps to speed up their recovery as the more they move around the better. Using the system is exciting and such fun that they forget all about the potential pain and are exercising without even thinking about it.” The system is used in structured sessions with a play worker Jenny Ralph.
“The omiVista is so intuitive and reacts to the slightest gesture or movement, it is easy for all children to play and enjoy the interactive experiences.”
However, Jane and her staff have found that one of the biggest benefits of the omiVista system is that the children can be left alone to play with it as it is completely safe. Also, as the system is so intuitive and reacts to the slightest gesture or movement, it is easy for all children to play and enjoy the interactive experiences.
Of all of the activities that the ward provides for the children, Jane believes the OMi interactive system is the best: “Even though we were excited about the systems when we saw them at Naidex we did have a few doubts about how they would work in reality but those doubts have been completely dispelled. We are really impressed with our interactive projection system and our expectations have been completely exceeded.”
Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has installed three omiVista install interactive projection systems to provide interactive play activities throughout the hospital. To find out more about how OMi’s interactive sensory projection systems can improve the quality of care in hospitals or schools contact us or arrange a demonstration.
Carey Lodge, Fremantle Trust
/in Case Study/by Simon GurneyCarey Lodge in Leighton Buzzard Buckinghamshire provides specialist residential care for older people, including those living with dementia, in a safe and welcoming environment. Each person has a personal support plan and has their Bradford Well-being Profile regularly assessed.
Having successfully fund-raised for a Mobii magic surface, interactive floor and table projector Sue Faulkner, Community & Lifestyle Manager for Fremantle, looked forward to sharing it with the residents of Carey Lodge.
From the very first moment the Mobii was turned on she says;
‘I was absolutely amazed at how active and involved they became. It’s been wonderful to see them all engrossed laughing and chatting amongst themselves. When we [projected] the coral reef with fish onto the floor they all began to dip their feet in with one resident exclaiming; ‘Wow it’s like I’m paddling in the sea how wonderful’ and another joined in ‘it reminds me of my holiday by the sea…listen to the water, we can see the fish, I used to have a fish like that one’.
Throwing the bean bags into the puddles of paint on the floor to ‘splash’ them has been another favourite. ’I love this game’ said one of our ladies. They are often disappointed when the session ends for lunch!
Over the weeks we have seen all nine residents Well-being Profile’s improve, with a few residents showing a marked change in their outlook. Dot has thoroughly enjoyed participating in the sessions, concentrating for far longer then she has ever before and more importantly showing enjoyment from interaction with her fellow residents. When Anne takes part in the games she is more able to articulate how she feels and clearly enjoys the sense of community that arises from coming together with others.
Over the weeks we have seen all nine residents Well-being Profile’s improve, with a few residents showing a marked change in their outlook.
There have been some other very special moments too. We have an older gentleman who we’ve struggled to reach who was also no longer communicating with his son when he visited. His son mentioned he used to have a passion for aircraft so we encouraged him over to the Mobii magic surface table and chose the ‘Spitfire’ app. As soon as he moved his fingers he could hear the sound of a spitfire in the distance, we encouraged him to scatter the virtual clouds out of the way and the spitfire got louder and slowly came into view. Seeing him motivated to move and then hearing him say ‘plane’ with a big smile as he pointed at it was just so emotional for all of us. The combination of hearing the distinct sounds of the spitfire, then having to scatter the clouds out of the way to see it seemed to revitalise him for a while. Those precious moments of re-connection with his son were invaluable, we were all emotional wrecks!
We are so pleased with the contribution the Mobii magic surface has made to Carey Lodge already, inspiring group participation and bringing real therapeutic benefits. We are excited to create our own apps using resident’s photos, paintings and music as a way of personalising the system and aiding reminiscence by helping them to connect with positive memories.’
Sue Faulkner, Community & Lifestyle Manager, Fremantle Trust
The Green, Cornwall Care
/in Case Study/by Simon GurneyThe Green is a care home in Redruth for people with residential, dementia and mental health needs run by Cornwall care.
The Mobii magic table is amazing, it’s so good for co-ordination, reminiscence and such a great social tool. The response we have had from our residents has been fantastic.
Sam Tatum, Care Manager of The Green is already overwhelmed by the feedback she’s received from residents and staff using the Mobii “magic table” interactive sensory projector system:
“We look after people with complex dementia and mental health needs so to see them actively using the system and working together is so heart-warming. The Mobii magic table is amazing, it’s so good for co-ordination, reminiscence and such a great social tool. The response we have had from our residents has been fantastic and to see them enjoying it together has made me quite emotional.”
She also highlighted the advantages of the Mobii being a truly mobile system as some of their residents are nursed in their bedrooms.
‘‘It’s fabulous that we can project directly onto their beds so they can enjoy the music and colourful scenes and sounds from nature. There is such a huge variety of physical and social experiences including painting, quizzes and agility/coordination games with beanbags, batons, brushes and balls.
Our staff are also looking forward to personalising the Mobii system by creating reminiscence activities using old and new photos of Redruth, to use with the painting effect, to help residents share memories.’’
‘‘It’s fabulous that we can project directly onto their beds so they can enjoy the music and colourful scenes and sounds from nature.
Anne Thomas, chief executive of Cornwall Care, a not-for-profit charity, said: “We are delighted that our residents at The Green are already gaining so much from this wonderful technology. Supporting people to have meaningful and stimulating interaction is an important part of what we do and we will continue to embrace new ways of enriching the lives and experiences of everyone in our care.”
Cornwall Care is now planning to raise funds to install more Mobii magic table systems in their care homes across the county.
Find out more about The Green in Redruth a care home for people needing residential care, dementia care and those with mental health needs.
See the Mobii in action
Request a free personalized demo of the Mobii or other omiVista system in your care home, or live online and discover how our interactive sensory activities improve the quality of lives of people in care and living with dementia.
Sunrise Eastbourne, Sunrise Senior Living
/in Case Study/by Simon GurneyCase Study: Sunrise Senior Living Eastbourne
It doesn’t sound like a huge thing but to give anyone a reason to interact in a physical and sensory way is widening their daily experience and enabling us to have an insight into the person behind the dementia. That’s pretty special.
Sunrise Senior Living in Eastbourne provides high quality personalised nursing, dementia care and assisted living.
They bought a Mobii “magic table” interactive sensory projector for floors and table over a year ago for use in their Memory Care neighbourhood, where they are dedicated to providing enriched person-centred care.
Nancy Walford, the Reminiscence Coordinator ( now Deputy Manager) talks about the effects the Mobii sensory activities has had on one particular Sunrise resident living with dementia:
‘One of the ladies we care for is quite insular within her world, she rarely opens her eyes and interacts, but since we’ve had the Mobii magic surface we have found a means to connect with her, it really has opened up her world. Now she will open her eyes and engage with the pictures on the table, she particularly enjoys participating in the nature ‘wipe’ activities.
Prior to the sensory table we have had little insight into how much she understands and processes, this new knowledge allows us to tailor more activities around her needs.
Although she is unable to communicate verbally, she is able to feedback her enjoyment by reaching forward to colour in certain images, this tells us she is seeing the picture and understanding there is something to colour like a bird or a landscape. The Mobii magic table is clearly giving her the motivation to stretch and interact with her environment and by repeating this action we know she is actively enjoying the process. Prior to the table we have had little insight into how much she understands and processes, this new knowledge allows us to tailor more activities around her needs. The table also provides her with a sense of achievement, her movements are changing the picture and she can see the product of her interactions and feel accomplished.
The Mobii magic surface has also increased her upper body mobility by giving her a reason to sit forward and outstretch her arm, it doesn’t sound like a huge thing but to give anyone a reason to interact in a physical and sensory way is widening their daily experience and enabling us to have an insight into the person behind the dementia. That’s pretty special.’
Nancy Walford
Deputy Manager, Sunrise Senior Living, Eastbourne
Find out more about Sunrise Senior Living luxury life-enabling care for older adults
See the Mobii in action
Request a free personalized demo of the Mobii or other omiVista system in your care home, or live online and discover how our interactive sensory activities improve the quality of lives of people in care and living with dementia.