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How to calm dementia patients at night?

 

For dementia patients, it can be unsettling at night in the dark if they forget where they are or fear they are in an unfamiliar place. The Happiness Programme can be used to calm down people living with dementia when they are feeling unsettled or distressed, as the sensory activities have proven to be calming.

 

Using the magic table 360 on the ceiling is a wonderful way to excite your residents. This can change their gaze, free up table-space or reach those living in their bed. It can be fantastic for those who already spend a lot of their time looking at the ceiling while in bed. It’s also an exciting change for other residents too! 

 

How can I use the magic table 360 on the ceiling?

Switching to ceiling mode is very simple: while looking straight at the projector, hold it on the front face with one hand, and gently twist it until the lens faces up. If the projector is very high up on the stand, you can lower it to achieve a larger projection. Don’t forget to use the allen keys if needed. Be mindful to avoid tension in the cable as it connects the magic table 360 to the stand. For the best size and sensitivity, we recommend adjusting the playing surface via the main menu. 

When the projector has been turned upside down, you may find that the projection requires rotating. This is easy enough to do without needing to physically turn the projector pole: simply press the button with the 3 bullet point lines on your remote control. The projection will disappear momentarily and then reappear to face the opposite direction

To move the projector back into tabletop mode, simply twist it gently back into position, being mindful of the cable, and readjust to suit your desired surface. We recommend that you supervise residents while the magic table 360 is on the ceiling to watch for their reactions and to be on hand to adjust the games to suit their preferences. 

The ability to turn the projector onto the ceiling brings the benefits of the magic table 360 to so many more residents. For example, residents sitting in recliner chairs may also find it easier to view and enjoy the projections on the ceiling. It has also been a highly useful option for providing sensory stimulation and meaningful activity for people isolating in rooms and socially distancing. 

Using the magic table 360 on the ceiling

What game should I choose?

We recommend experimenting with what games work best for your players and residents. To help, and to reduce time spent scrolling through the menu, we have created a playlist in the Playlist Menu to shuffle games that are suitable for ceiling use. 

These games require no interaction, but can still be enjoyable to watch and to listen to. When this playlist is selected, the magic table 360 will play through the games and change them every 5 minutes. You can skip ahead to the next game using the arrow keys if you prefer. 

The games in this playlist are:

  • Autumn Leaves
  • Deep Breaths (+ 2 other breathing games)
  • Flower Bloom
  • Fruit Patch
  • Pond Fishing 2
  • Star Gaze
  • Ripples
  • Balloon Pop
  • Bubble Burst
  • Elvis Radio (+ 2 other radio games)

The breathing game on the magic table 360 projected onto the ceiling

However, different games that are not in this playlist may be the most exciting for other residents to spark their interest. For example, seeing a football pitch on the Match of the Day game could be extremely engaging for a football fan. We recommend spending at least 30 minutes with each person to find out what works best for them. You can log your findings and write your recommendations to other staff members in your Happiness Tracker Logbook template. 

Some of the games have been particularly designed for ceiling use and so we highly recommend trying them out if you are using the magic table 360 in this way. 

Spotlight: Star Gaze

Residents of all abilities can watch in amazement as you transform any room into a magical scene. For example, our Star Gaze game, with twinkling stars and soothing sounds of the galaxy. Residents may find this particularly wonderful when projected above their bed in the morning or at night time. We have designed the music and sounds to be as gentle as possible. We have found it useful to set the scene so that any distracting sounds from your surroundings cannot be heard. 

Spotlight: Ripples

You may want to use a game to theme a room. For example, Ripples, with its gentle piano and water sounds sets a beautiful scene for a room with pebbles and rock pools appearing on the ceiling. This may be relaxing enough by itself, or alongside other activities that are going on. Using the projector on the ceiling will allow you to use table surfaces for something else, perhaps an art and craft activity or a spa treatment room. It can work well for those in bed for a sensory experience, with a regularly changing rock pool background to inspire, or just to be enjoyed. 

Can I play the games or do I just have to watch?

For those who want a real stretch, props can be used to reach and interact with games. We recommend soft, light props such as foam noodles for a fun experience where you can play any game.

Not a member of the Happiness Programme?

The Happiness Programme is a first-of-its-kind initiative helping to change the lives of people living with cognitive challenges. We use interactive light technology to provide meaningful activities for residents and patients in care homes and care settings.  For more detail on what the Happiness Programme is and how it’s helping care venues across the UK, visit our getting started page.

Alternatively, jump to our dementialearning disability and NHS pages for more specific detail on how it’s helping care homes like Barchester and HC-One as well as hospitals and local authorities such as St George’s Hospital, London and Westminster and South Kensington Council.

For anything else, you can contact us here too.

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