The team at Cherry Wood Grange Care Home, located on Writtle Road, uses soft lighting, soothing music, essential oils, gentle hand and head massages and a range of sensory items to create a peaceful, multi-sensory experience for their residents.
The 66-bed home provides residential, respite, specialist dementia and nursing care, with Namaste Care delivered both one-to-one and in small groups as part of its person-centred approach.
The sessions can be particularly beneficial for people living with dementia, but residents from across the home enjoy taking part, with the experience tailored to their individual needs and preferences.
For residential resident Dolly Sollie, aged 95, it is the soothing power of touch that makes the sessions a highlight of her week.
I love it, namaste is like a feeling I’ve never experienced before,” explained Dolly.
I particularly enjoy the hand and head massages as they make me feel so relaxed, especially with the low lighting and peaceful atmosphere.
Sandra Tibaldi, aged 56, is a resident on the home’s nursing suite. Sandra’s hands can stiffen and contract, the hand massages and her use of the sensory items help her hands to relax and open.
The initiative supports people with advanced dementia to engage in therapeutic, multi-sensory activities that can help improve their quality of life.
Marian Barnes, aged 81, lives on the home’s Daffodil dementia suite. The former primary school teacher is living with dementia and also has Parkinson’s.
Bex Harmer, lifestyle lead at Cherry Wood Grange, said:
Marian has really embraced the sensory sessions, she loves to explore what the room has to offer and enjoys holding the various sensory tools in her hands and feeling the different textures.
We have seen a real improvement in her wellbeing. She is happier and smiles so much.
The sessions also provides comfort and reassurance for 90-year-old Sheila Hughes, who is living with Alzheimer’s, and Bex has noticed Sheila is “alert and engaged” during the sessions.
Namaste Care also plays an important role in supporting residents receiving palliative and end-of-life care, where creating a peaceful environment and providing comfort, reassurance and individualised sensory experiences can be particularly valuable.
The team at Cherry Wood Grange recently completed a comprehensive two-year Gold Standards Framework (GSF) Care Homes training programme and received the GSF Accreditation Award in recognition of the high-quality end-of-life care provided at the home.
Namaste sessions can be adapted for residents approaching the end of life, with calming music, soft lighting, familiar scents and other sensory experiences used according to each person’s individual needs and preferences.
Sue Smith, manager at Cherry Wood Grange, added:
Namaste Care is an important part of our approach because it can be adapted to support residents at different stages of their care journey. For some, it provides stimulation and engagement, while for others it can create a sense of calm, comfort and reassurance.
This can be particularly valuable when we are caring for someone approaching the end of their life. At that stage, it is often the small, individual things that can make a difference – familiar music, a favourite scent or simply creating a peaceful environment around them.
Completing the Gold Standards Framework has strengthened our team’s confidence and knowledge and given us a shared approach to recognising when someone may be approaching the end of their life.
It helps us to have more meaningful conversations with residents and their families, ensuring that their wishes are understood, respected and communicated.
Alongside the calming sensory sessions, residents take part in daily activities and regular minibus trips, helping them to remain stimulated, engaged and connected with the wider community.
