The Innovation in the care of older people is very important to advance personalized care. Hence, at NAMI we constantly research and innovate in the development of new therapies, with scientific support, that may be interesting in the field of geriatrics.
The therapies carried out in nursing homes aim to improve people’s physical and mental health, as well as their emotional well-being, which will result in a better quality of life. But not all therapies work for everyone. It is important that therapies are used always taking into account the needs of each individual, as well as the objectives to be achieved. Basal stimulation therapy, for example, promotes the comprehensive development of the person who suffers from advanced cognitive impairment and who has serious limitations in communication, perception or movement. The techniques used in this method are related to physical and sensory stimulation.
“It is a concept that intervenes holistically in the person, from a social, emotional, physical, biological, etc. perspective. Its main objective is for the person to recover body perception and interaction with their environment”.
Basal stimulation is indicated for all those users who present sensory and motor deprivation or major limitations, which affect their quality of life: agitations, emotional and/or sensory alterations, etc.
What basal stimulation therapy consists of
The innate capabilities of each human being (known as basal) are the starting point to promote and stimulate perception and communication in older people with cognitive impairment. These are related to the area of perception and based on personal experiences. “The most sensory and deep part of the person is stimulated, which is what connects us with our body and the environment,” details Rocío Rodríguez.
This method is based on different types of stimulation:
- Somatics, which works on the sensations and perceptions of the body itself and the location of the different bodily elements.
- Vibratory or mechanical muscle that, through vibrating devices, trains strength and flexibility. Likewise, it works on the sensory and motor signals that go from the muscles to the brain.
- Vestibular, which helps regulate the sense of movement and balance.
- As well as traditional visual, auditory, olfactory stimulations, etc.
All these techniques provide the residents of NAMI a daily, and much-needed, dose of body stimulation and perception of the environment.
Main benefits of basal stimulation therapy
The main benefits of basal stimulation therapy, according to the occupational therapist at NAMI, are the following:
- Improves interpersonal communication of people with high cognitive impairment, both with other residents and with the professionals who care for them. For example, creative non-verbal interaction, through gestures or mime, is very useful to help understand what is happening around you.
- Improves the perception of the environment, because this method helps the person perceive the limits of their own body and contextualize it in the real world around them, including the presence of others.
- Helps you experience, understand and orient yourself in your immediate environment, providing security and confidence.
- Regulates moods: by understanding, even in a limited way, what is happening around them, the person feels calmer and calmer.
In short, a stimulating environment helps promote the creation of new neural connections and the person can recover bodily and cognitive abilities that they still retain.
Basal stimulation, therefore, allows people with advanced dementia to feel their own existence and, in a certain way, understand what is happening around them, thanks to body perception and orientation in the environment. All of this has a positive impact on the development of the Basic Activities of Daily Living (ABVC), which improves the quality of life.
