Multi-Sensory Stimulation in 24-hour Dementia Care - Nivel

for demented nursing home residents demands interventions that are easily
implemented by less skilled caregivers in daily contact with those with dementia
(Sambandham, 1995). Therefore, an intervention study was conducted that focus on
the implementation of an integrated snoezelen approach in the 24-h daily care,
carried out by Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs).
In the Netherlands, snoezelen usually gets no or little attention during the basic
vocational education of nursing assistants. Bernardus Experisecentre/Fontis, a
nursing home with training center specialised in snoezelen, has developed a four-day
course ‘snoezelen for caregivers’, which can be attended by staff members in addition
to their basic education level. A resident-oriented attitude, comparable with
‘positive person work’ as described by Kitwood (see “Theoretical background”), is an
important condition to integrate snoezelen care successfully in psychogeriatric care.
Therefore, the training ‘snoezelen for caregivers’ pays attention to person-centred
care as well as to the application of multi-sensory stimulation. To implement the
snoezelen care model successfully, psycho-geriatric units need to make organizational
adaptations towards a ‘type B setting’ (see “Theoretical background”). These
organizational adaptations are necessary to become a stimulating and safe
environment for caregivers, providing the conditions to apply the new care model.
The final aim of the intervention is to increase mood and behaviour of demented
residents and, therefore, the residents’ quality of life. The switch in caregiver
behaviour from task-oriented care to resident-oriented or person-centred care is
considered as a prerequisite to reach this final aim, as is visualised in figure 1.1.
Introduction 17