Lifestyle Coordinator, Zoe works at Brook House Care Home in Cambridge and recently decided to host a multisensory session for the people who live there.
These types of activities are not only fun but also provide full-body stimulation. The scents, tastes and textures associated with different items can also help to bring back linked memories from the past and unlock fond moments people may have forgotten.
For this activity, Zoe went and bought a range of different fruits, vegetables, herbs and other items to put people’s senses to the test.
Before handing a person an item to touch, taste or smell, Zoe asked them to close their eyes to see if they could guess the items. Some of the herbal items were much easier to guess using their sense of smell, whilst the products that didn’t have much scent to them were easier to guess using their sense of touch.
As people began guessing what the different items were, their friends in the room found it amusing as they could all see the object they were trying to guess. Each person was excited to guess the object when it got to their turn, and after guessing it correctly, could then sample the taste. Residents said they particularly enjoyed the taste of the jelly and marshmallows. They also said they both had very unique textures.
It was a simple activity, but one that provided hours of fun and stimulation. Zoe will be hosting similar sessions in the future, but next time with different foods to test people’s senses.