We haven’t been quite diligent with updating the blog, trying to change that with at least an update every week now, leading up to completion by the end of September (hopefully!)
Here is a list of outstanding items we still need to get (anyone can chip in new ideas as well)
– cushions (green (forest), blue (aqua), multi-color/anything cool (SCU))
– Toucan/big bird/ any big animal (can be plush or w/e just make it a big attractive centre piece for the forest theme)
-White fabric/translucent (to cover the ceiling of pine garden) can add glittering stars too
– Multi color parachute (also for ceiling of pine garden)
-mist lamp (searched almost all retail shops, no idea where we can find one)
– surface collective wall tatoos, please go to their catalog online and suggest some good ones to purchase
-probably more fish and stuff for the aqua theme
-tactile toys to go with each unit
– stereo machines we still need to get for each unit
With all those purchases we should be approaching our $5000 budget…. Hopefully everything turns out well!
Willie
Progress Report sent to UBC Learning Exchange, July 25 2011
UBC Learning Exchange Trek Program
Interim Progress Report
Project: Multi-Sensory Stimulatory Environments to Improve Senior Health
Students: Willie Kwok, Mabel Ma, Yi ru Soh
Community Partner: SUCCESS Multilevel Care Society
Overview:
- Project is moving along smoothly, we have almost completed one sensory corner (the traditional chinese garden, although we are still waiting on some material to arrive) and currently working on the second
- Currently waiting for a shipment of sensory equipment (special lamps, tactile toys, etc.) from spectrum (senior equipment supplier) which will arrive in apx. 3-4 weeks.
- Fiona (recreation therapist and our primary staff we are working with) is going on vacation for the next 3 weeks (wedding), we will be primarily working with mimi chan (the care coordinator) in her place.
Some quick images we took a week or so back to show our work progress:
Before:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/eMRIYNhSdS0teK6EN05dBtMH6PmDQbrSjLe7P04mHNk?feat=directlink
After:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/d4MA3AHt7uzNs2x0q6XPgdMH6PmDQbrSjLe7P04mHNk?feat=directlink
P.S. The toy bird chirps to clapping and there is chinese music playing in the background.
-Again it isn’t quite complete, we are still trying tofind for appropriate chair covers, and curtains/wallpaper to cover up the wall in the background.
Challenges:
- Working with the health teams and family members for culturally appropriate material (particularly for our traditional Chinese theme there are certain culturally sensitive materials we had to take into account such as colors and paintings.)
- Having to deal with a slight delay of approval before we can go ahead with any significant tasks (i.e. just hanging something on the wall would require approval by the recreation department and confirmation by the health care staff , administration and engineering.)
- Finding materials in the community have taken a significant portion of the time (Finding the right paintings/ decorations in a store, reporting back to the community partner for approval, going back to purchase, etc.)
- Health care staff/ Administration have been quite cooperative in providing plenty of input for the project. We’re still lagging behind on getting more input from the residents and their family members, which will be one of our primary issues we are working to rectify.
- Scheduling has posed some organizational challenges (vacations, school, work, etc.), sometimes it is difficult to coordinate everyone’s schedules despite having regular online conference meetings/shared calendar planners/blogs to help
TODO:
- Continue work on the corners, current deadlines are: Aquatic/fishing corner by mid August, Tropical/Forest corner by Late August, and the Funhouse/colour corner by mid September
- Getting the community more involved, our meetings/ discussions have been restricted mostly to staff initially. Need to have more active promotion and interaction with other volunteers, community members, and residents.
- Look into possible alternatives to projectors offered by the traditional senior equipment providers (prohibitively expensive at around $2000-$3000). Possible alternatives might just be to buy a relatively cheap laptop and portable projector (~$800 possibly)
Budget:
- SUCCESS initially fronted us $2500 to use on purchases for the corners, we have spent just around ~1500 or so on the first corner.
- Additional purchase of bulk of sensory material from spectrum totaling $1368.42
Total used currently: ~ $2900 of $5000
Miscellaneous/Comments:
- Created a blog to keep track of progress at https://blogs.ubc.ca/sensoryforseniors/ (albeit we have been slow to update recently)
- We haven’t quite narrowed down the exact date for the site visit, it will definitely be the week of or after the open house though (August 18).
Images of the corners we are working on before any work was done:
2F Cherry Garden (Traditional Chinese Theme)
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| From Drop Box |
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| From Drop Box |
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| From Drop Box |
2F Bamboo Garden (Aquatic Theme)
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| From Drop Box |
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| From Drop Box |
3F Cedar Garden (Tropical/Forest Theme)
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| From Drop Box |
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| From Drop Box |
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| From Drop Box |
1F Pine Garden (Colour theme)
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| From Drop Box |
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| From Drop Box |
Email to Fiona on 07/06/2001
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Hi Fiona,
Items to discuss:
Paintings: I know you mentioned that we will be getting paintings and that we won’t need to buy them. I was wondering when we will get them and how we should go about asking maintenance or whoever is in charge of getting them hanged in the right location
bamboo and vase:
We found bamboo of reasonable height (bit taller than waist-height) and price:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/41IKyuSCect6bC0G3OKmr-Vf3X4FEwOirfn1AyDiyDI?feat=directlink
We were wondering about what kind of vase to hold it since we are planning to put the bamboo next to the sofa and we are afraid it could pose a safety risk to being tipped over. Suggestions would be appreciated.
Bird Cage and Stand:
Found some old styled cages of various sizes and price similar to this one:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QtBrYlRFNvs9ecoXmgZzsOVf3X4FEwOirfn1AyDiyDI?feat=directlink
However we didn’t find an appropriate stand for the cages (we are planning to put them on the other side of the chairs). Again similiar concerns with the bamboo such as tipping over (somehow stick it to the wall?)
Lanterns
Still unsure the kinds of laterns we should be hanging up. Again most of the lanterns we found were of this style
https://picasaweb.google.com/112340666003029115497/ProjectItems?authkey=Gv1sRgCPLi383Mo7nn2QE&feat=directlink#5623920217695682722
Which I remember you disapproved of. Are you expecting of something similiar to this style instead?:
http://www.hzproduct.com/iupload/797/81901/chinese-lantern-4-7.jpg
If not, it would be great if you could find an image of an appropriate lantern for us to find and buy.
Hutch(sp?)
Not sure if this is the type of hutch you were mentioning but we found a bunch of them at various prices and sizes:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rGDXRiaD5__23n57cqnrTeVf3X4FEwOirfn1AyDiyDI?feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rK2iVqQySHsOnvY4GwQn5eVf3X4FEwOirfn1AyDiyDI?feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/KgUUoKlkc_3xRHgyysuyHeVf3X4FEwOirfn1AyDiyDI?feat=directlink
Not sure where we would put them or the kinds of items to put in them.
Cassette/CD Players
Not having much luck find cheap CD/Cassette players. I know you mentioned you know a place where we could get them for reasonably cheap. It would probably be best just to get them from there.
Other Items:
Bamboo poles: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qtAyo9KX8_oveIVJgbUMp-Vf3X4FEwOirfn1AyDiyDI?feat=directlink
(might be useful for the rainforest or chinese theme?)
Drums: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qQ_pDWFYhjd45hSO8s6qIuVf3X4FEwOirfn1AyDiyDI?feat=directlink
Flowers (fake): https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CQGY7qQ8-qo-RX9RS8O-9uVf3X4FEwOirfn1AyDiyDI?feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/euHh34BMxNp682d1xkp1xOVf3X4FEwOirfn1AyDiyDI?feat=directlink
Additional Wall Panels: https://picasaweb.google.com/112340666003029115497/ProjectItems?authkey=Gv1sRgCPLi383Mo7nn2QE&feat=directlink#5625999514815751426
(relatively cheap if we want to cover the rest of the wall with panels, Mabel also mentioned it might be nice for the forest theme if we cover it with vines)
Instruments: https://picasaweb.google.com/112340666003029115497/ProjectItems?authkey=Gv1sRgCPLi383Mo7nn2QE&feat=directlink#5623920212917829202
Water Fountain: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yvA_YySsFjrVpkRnzat6seVf3X4FEwOirfn1AyDiyDI?feat=directlink
(We don’t have to put water in it, it can be just a table top decoration?)
Even if we purchased all this, we should still be within our budget for ~1000 for each garden.
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other things:
Net: having trouble finding a reasonable sized net for the aquatic theme. Group says they check Canadian tire without much luck. Any suggestions?
Wall stickers in Pine Garden: Noticed some aqautic themed stickers in by the fish tank in the SCU. Wondering where we could get more of those for our aquatic theme?
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As mentioned before, I will be in on Saturday to work on the the corners.
The full updated collection of photos can be viewed here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/112340666003029115497/ProjectItems?authkey=Gv1sRgCPLi383Mo7nn2QE
(if that doesn’t work, its the same album i shared in the previous emails)
Thanks,
Willie
-Confirm about the paintings
-Confirm about the bamboo and vase
-confirm about the bird cage and the stand
-confirm about the fake birds
-confirm about the lantern
-confirm about where can we buy the CD plus Caset player
Bought on saturday July 2nd, First major item for our sensory corners: a traditional Chinese screen! (Images taken from the store)
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| From Project Items |
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| From Project Items |
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| From Project Items |
From Yiru’s report:
Summary
According to the research I made by searching for activities carried out by care home to improve and enhance the senses of elderly people with dementia , there is no specific activities regarding the use of wall panel to stimulate the senses if the elder people with dementia. However, most of the activities carried out by the care home regarding setting up atmosphere that can stimulate elder people with dementia sensory organs such as aromatherapy, music, play games that can help them to use their brain, and some art work. (Links that give evidence to the facts stated above: http://www.nursing-home-philippines.com/activities, http://www.sunriseseniorliving.com/care-and-services/alzheimers-memory-care.aspx, http://www.alzfdn.org/EducationandCare/art_therapy.html, According to this link http://www.alzfdn.org/EducationandCare/art_therapy.html some suggestion regarding therapy that can be carried out for elder people with dementia is to stimulate their sensory and memory using bright colour object and artwork. As all panel activities are based on bright object with games that can maximize the use of brain by elders , wall panel activities may be able to help the elder with dementia .
Some other links that I refer while doing the research:
http://www.sunriseseniorliving.com/care-and-services/alzheimers-memory-care.aspx
http://www.alzfdn.org/EducationandCare/art_therapy.html
http://www.skillednursingfacilities.org/blog/life-in-nursing-homes/nursing-home-activities/
http://activitiesdirector.blogspot.com/2009/06/nursing-home-activities-ideas.html
http://www.co.cayuga.ny.us/nursinghome/index.htm
http://dnn.epcc.edu/ContinuingEducation/SeniorAdultProgram/tabid/5492/language/en-US/Default.aspx
Current purchase list as discussed from last week:
1 – Table Radiance Lamp $41.70
1 – Floor Radiance Lamp $103.50
1 – Plasma 360 Light $41.40
1 – Butterfly mobile $21.55
1 – Mobile clip $8.10
1 – 10” Disco Ball $38.25
1 – Space projector $132.00
1 – Sculpture maze wall panel $145.20
1 – Tic Tac Toe wall panel $138.00
1 – Number wall puzzle panel $162.00
1 – Paddle Wheel wall panel $138.00
1 – Starlight Fiber optic light $47.40
1 – Color changing mist table lamp $38.40
1 – Water Panel $203.50
$600 worth of Wall sticker vouchers for surfacecollectables $300
Total: $1559 (exclusive of tax and shipping costs)
Held an online meeting with the group.
Summary of points:
– Deadline for first garden: July 22nd – approximately 4 weeks
– Sensory equipment from the catalogue should arrive in roughly 6-8 weeks: total about $1500
– Wall stickers: purchasing an additional $150 – bringing total to $300 (thus $600 spending dollars)
– Walkthrough meeting with care home staff: June 28th (Tuesday) morning – need confirmation
- Briefing primary care staff, administration, & maintenance (community members
- What the project is about, how we will start setting up, some idea of how it will look in the end
- input of what things need to be changed
– Care home open house: mid-August
- Complete as least 2 corners
– Group meeting at care home: this Saturday at 10am (6/25/2011)
- Preparation & rehearsal for meeting next week
- Purchase additional material/equipment for each corner
Met with Fiona today after my neurodevnet conference in downtown.
Summary of points:
- Need to set a walk-through date with care home staff: Suggested times Tuesday 28 Mornings, Wednesdays 29 Afternoons, Thursday 30 mornings
- a rough outline of the equipment we will be purchasing from the catalogues: total so far will come to ~$1500
- Deadlines set: July 22nd – Must have one sensory corner done (before Fiona goes on vacation); August 19th? SUCCESS care home open house: try to get as much done as possible
- Online meeting set for tomorrow at 9pm over skype (6/22/2011)
Things are going behind schedule but there should still be sufficient time to complete the project. We are entering late June so the next few weeks should be pretty busy in terms of getting things done.
