Namaste Care sessions provide relief for residents living with Parkinson’s

A specialist dementia care home in Guildford which launched its Namaste Care sessions a year ago is discovering remarkable benefits for residents, including those living with Parkinson’s dementia.

The sessions involve a range of holistic, sensory therapies such as aromatherapy, hand massages and sound and light therapy, designed to promote deep rest and relaxation amongst the participants.

Jimmy Kerr, 81, a resident at Claremont Court Care Home, in Harts Gardens, is finding the Namaste Care sessions incredibly beneficial and particularly enjoys the hand massages, which provide respite from his hand tremors.

“The hand massages make my hands feel better for a while,” he said. “The sessions make me feel relaxed and I love the sense of calmness they bring me.” Resident Peter Brough, 76, also said the sessions really help with the symptoms of Parkinson’s.

“I love the quietness and the calmness of the sessions,” he said, “They relax me. The hand massage is my favourite thing, and it really helps with my Parkinson’s.” According to Parkinson’s UK around 166,000 people in the UK are living with Parkinson’s, which has more than 40 symptoms and affects everyone differently. Parkinson's-related dementia is a type of dementia that develops in people with a pre-existing Parkinson's diagnosis.

Peter’s wife, Jo Brough, can see the physical difference in Peter after a Namaste session. She said, “People see the tremors and mobility problems associated with Parkinson’s, but it can also be very painful. Peter finds the Namaste Care helpful and soothing. His posture changes and relaxes afterwards and it’s great for his emotional wellbeing too.” Claremont Court Care Home has 57 en-suite bedrooms and caters exclusively for people living with advanced and complex dementia, offering residential, nursing, respite and compassionate end-of-life care.

Amongst the team members taking the Namaste Care sessions are lifestyle coordinator, Sheila Harding, who has been at the home for 18 months and lifestyle assistant, Sofia Smith-Montoya, who has been at the home for two and a half years. The sessions take place one to one or in small groups and form an important part of the dedicated team’s approach to dementia care.

“It’s a lovely way for us to spend quality time with our residents,” Sheila explained. “It makes them feel loved, comforted and special, so it’s great for their mental wellbeing too. It helps us to build a connection and a bond with our residents, and it can be very relaxing for us as well!

“It’s incredible to see the differences the sessions make to our residents,” she continued. “Many have advanced dementia and are non-verbal or less communicative, but Namaste Care can have them smiling and even laughing. Sometimes they’ll massage your hand back, and that’s when you know you’re making a difference.” Sofia added, “It can be overwhelming to see how much it helps our residents. They are always engaged during the sessions. Their body language might be quite stiff or rigid at the start, but you can see their whole body relax and their shoulders drop as the session goes on.

“The sessions are tailored to each person and very bespoke. We take cues from our residents as to how long to run the session for and if someone doesn’t like touch for example, we focus on the other senses instead.”

Namaste Care takes place in the home’s lounge or in residents’ rooms and engages all five senses. Projectors shine moving stars and planets onto the ceiling, the aromatherapy diffusers release floral or fruity fragrances, and soft waterfall or bird song music plays in the background. Alongside gentle hand massages, team members comb resident’s hair and offer fruit juices or jelly sweets to stimulate taste. Each resident also has a personalised Namaste Care bag which contains items they find comforting, such as their own blanket or favourite hand cream. This year alone Claremont Court Care Home has won the Best Specialist Care Dementia category at the National Care Home Awards and received Highly Commended at the Dementia in Care Awards for Innovative Spaces Within Residential Care: Design. The dedicated team pride themselves on their refreshing approach to dementia care and their philosophy that living with dementia doesn’t mean losing quality of life. The Claremont Court family also includes the home’s cats Clare and Monty and pet dog Ruby.

Claremont Court Care Home is rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and holds a Platinum accreditation with the Gold Standards Framework for end-of-life care.

click here for more details or to contact Claremont Court Care Home