SENSORY STIMULATION
The tempo of the moving images and music on "A Sense of Calm" have been specially created and choreographed in accordance with the scientific principles of sensory stimulation and therefore do not rely on the viewer's familiarity with the images and music, learnt memory responses, nor analytical thought processes. This makes "A Sense of Calm" a pure form of relaxation therapy that has proved to be particularly effective for people with medical conditions that can cause stress, anxiety and agitation. Such conditions include dementia, Alzheimer’s, Autism, Asperger's, ADHD, strokes and learning difficulties.
Our senses are our window on the world. We see, hear, smell and touch things to make sense of what is going
on around us, but sometimes, when things get on top of us, or we become frustrated by the effects of a
debilitating medical condition, like dementia, or autism, the light suddenly seems too bright, the sound too loud, our skin feels sensitive to the touch and even the smell of our favourite food can cause nausea. We are basically in sensory overload, where everything and everyone around us has become an irritant.
Because of the potential side effects of the drugs used to control agitation in patients, doctors are increasingly looking to a holistic approach to bring about a sense of calm for those whose condition can cause frustration, anxiety, stress and agitation. In these circumstances, the calming influence of sensory stimulation techniques like "A Sense of Calm'" help to produce calming alpha brain waves that act as a filter, relieving the stress caused by sensory overload.
OUR INSPIRATION
The inspiration behind this video came when the producers saw how a close family member, diagnosed with a debilitating, degenerative illness, benefited from sessions in a sensory calm room, where lights and sound
helped provide an environment of sensory stimulation to calm the senses.
“We’d been looking after Mum for 3 years when her condition started to decline significantly. She was hallucinating, she was confused and she was becoming increasingly frustrated at not being able to articulate her thoughts.”
“She was admitted to a specialist hospital unit for assessment, where occupational therapists introduced her to the sensory stimulation of a sensory room. We were amazed how the coloured lights and music calmed her down, but sensory rooms are expensive and Mum only had a limited time in there, so we started to look around for a more mobile solution, one that could be used as and when Mum needed it.”
“In order to incorporate the principles of sensory stimulation, we realised that the images had to be abstract, but not so abstract that they became threatening, nor should they evoke strong memories, or responses, so we decided to produce our own DVD of what was to become “A Sense of Calm”.
“It worked, not only on Mum, but on other patients, providing the same sense of calm we’d experienced
in the sensory room.”
“Mum had dementia, but since then the DVD has been used for other medical conditions, including children with learning difficulties and on general wards as a relaxation aid for patients recovering from injuries and other illnesses. We also found it helped to relax the carers, which wasn’t really a surprise, because we found the same sense of calm when we watched it with Mum.”
- Peter Higgins (Producer and Director of “A Sense of Calm”)
USING A SENSE OF CALM
"A Sense of Calm" can be viewed as a relaxation therapy in itself, or as a therapeutic means of creating a calming atmosphere that can promote social interaction and communication for someone whose condition has caused them stress, agitation, anxiety and frustration.
The images and music in each video flow seamlessly to the next, so it can be used by occupational therapists, activity co-ordinators, parents and carers for up to one hour of therapy, or in smaller segments for those who just need 10 minutes to relax to their favourite track.
Each DVD comes with a licence that allows the DVD to be played at home, at schools, or in any health, or therapeutic environment
For further information on how, why and where “A Sense of Calm” can help you, please click the relevant sections in our index and our section on General Relaxation.
