Using technology for well-being: Multisensory rooms for the elderly

Currently, new technologies are playing a fundamental role in improving the health and well-being of the elderly or dependent individuals. Among the numerous innovations and resources for supporting older adults are multisensory rooms. These sensory stimulation and regulation spaces have proven to be a highly effective tool for cognitive rehabilitation, promoting social communication, and overall well-being.

These sensory environments, equipped with advanced technology, offer an immersive and interactive sensory experience. With the correct therapeutic approach, they can have very positive impacts on the quality of life of elderly or dependent people, contributing to improving their health, autonomy, and mood.

The importance of sensory stimulation in elderly or dependent people

As we age and become more dependent, challenges to our health and well-being can arise. These include the decline in physical, cognitive, and sensory abilities, as well as loss of autonomy or lack of motivation. These challenges can affect the quality of life, mood, motor skills, and social abilities.

Sensory stimulation is a therapeutic leisure and well-being tool that aims to regulate the senses (sight, hearing, touch, proprioception) to improve the physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being of individuals.

These rooms allow for the activation, calming, or stimulation of the senses in a controlled environment where stimuli are adjustable by the therapist and controllable by the user. Thus, the elderly interact within a space filled with lights, images, sounds, and videos projected on the wall, experiencing various immersive experiences without leaving the room.

For example, they can be transported to a paradisiacal beach with just the press of a button, feeling the wind on their face and the vibration of the waves, or recall daily life concepts.

Benefits of sensory stimulation for the Elderly

• Cognitive rehabilitation: Sensory stimulation activates neural connections, promoting attention, memory, and thinking. This can help maintain and improve cognitive functions.
• Improvement of agnosias: The stimulation of the senses helps improve agnosias, aiding the elderly in their ability to interpret or recognize what they see or hear.
• Mood enhancement: Sensory stimulation can be pleasurable and relaxing, helping to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. These positive sensory experiences can improve mood and promote emotional well-being.
• Reduction of disruptive behaviors and apathy: It has been shown that the proper use of these resources provides experiences that help users reduce disruptive behaviors and apathy, which can accelerate deterioration.
• Promotion of social interaction: Shared sensory experiences in a stimulating environment can foster social interaction and communication, creating opportunities for emotional connection and social participation.

The role of new technologies in sensory stimulation

New technologies have revolutionized the way sensory stimulation can be provided to the elderly or dependent individuals. Qinera’s rooms with proprietary technology include elements like Proximity, a small platform where placing any object will project it on the wall accompanied by sounds, music, and lights as configured.

For example, we can place a toy elephant on the Proximity, and it will be projected on the wall while we hear it through the room’s speakers. All the lights in the room turn yellowish (representing the savannah), and the fan activates to make us feel there. We can choose any item, such as a fruit, and use it to remember old recipes or the person’s favorite dish.

These advanced technologies allow for greater flexibility and variety in sensory experiences, as they are fully customizable, adapting to each person’s preferences and needs. We can work on autobiographical memory and recognition by incorporating photographs of family members or old videos. We can also recall daily activities, object names, work on short-term memory, episodic memory, etc.