Published on Sunday 25 December 2011

Dementia and Autism DVD developed by Peel man

THERE are more than 750,000 people in Britain with dementia, and millions more who are affected but go under the radar.
For many, it can be an isolating and frustrating experience, where the nature of their condition can lead to anxiety, agitation and sometimes fits of rage, making it very challenging for carers and family members.
To help alleviate, Peter Higgins, 47, a designer and creative consultant from Peel, decided to create a DVD called A Sense of Calm which uses animation and music to calm and relax people for a range of conditions, including dementia, autism and ADHD. ...click here to read more

A Sense of Calm recently gave a talk to The Dementia Education and Training Network (DETN) at DementiaUK in London - see the review of our talk in the DETN Newsletter at http://www.dementiauk.org/assets/files/what_we_do/networks/detn/newsletters/Issue_10.pdf

A Sense of Calm is now being used in over 370 Care Homes in the UK, including BUPA Care Services, Four Seasons Health Care and CareBase.

"I've recommended that our care homes purchase A Sense of Calm for both staff and residents to use."

Dr. Graham Stokes, Director of Dementia Care, BUPA Care Services.   

"I have been utilising (the DVD) within one our units on the main wall mounted telly and it has gone down a treat.... I would like all the Managers to be aware of this and be able to purchase it."

Caroline Baker, Dementia Services Director, Four Seasons Health Care   

The DVD continues to be of great help, although may be suffering from overuse! A great asset, thank you.

Clare Morris - Living with Dementia Consultancy  

“My son was immediately engaged by the DVD. The calming atmosphere made him more inclined to tell me what he was seeing – ‘bubbles’, ‘red’, ‘yellow’, ‘shiny’, etc. A great product – a useful tool for promoting relaxation around stressful situations.”

NAS member, Watford  

(from a review in Communication - the magazine of The National Autistic Society)   

"Thank you for letting me have a copy of your "A Sense Of Calm" DVD: it was very helpful. My daughter has an unbalanced translocation of chromosomes, causing severe learning difficulties and early onset dementia, which leave her often confused and agitated. Your DVD proved very effective in calming her and giving her the opportunity to enjoy and engage with an involving and immersive visual stimulus. It helped her to relax and it helped me to take some of the stress out of her day. ”

Vicky Thompson-Carr, Essex  

"Initially we trialled the DVD in the Dementia wing, then progressed to the general Nursing wing. As a result of the wonderful calming effect the DVD has, we decided to purchase a mobile sensory unit, promoting the use of the DVD throughout all the wings of the home." 

Annie Bairstow Matron RN RMN MW. Castle View Nursing Home, Peel.  

"I recently gave this DVD to my father who had suffered from a stroke. A side effect of treatment medication was broken sleep and erratic tense spasm movements.” “Not only does my father find the DVD relaxing at these times but my mother found it helps her. As a carer there is little time to relax and the DVD has given her a sense of calm when she has popped it on for short periods during the daytime.”

S.Dawe - Southport  

“My autistic daughter was home this weekend and the dvd was a great hit with her.  I think she was feeling unwell [she is non verbal and sometimes you have to guess what's wrong] and wanted to stay in bed and was getting very fretful.  She watched the dvd in full and even asked for it to be repeated. Thank you. Now I'm going to watch it for myself to calm me down.  Many thanks for making such a great help for us carers.”

Anonymous, London

Our Senior Managers trialled “A sense of Calm” on pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties, including two classes for children with severe Autism. The feedback from our staff was extremely positive. They found the DVD not only engaged the attention of pupils, it also calmed those who were over active and in a state of agitation. They also commented how much they liked the quality of the visuals, the speed and flow of the graphics as a sensory aid and the soothing nature of the music. We think the DVD will be a useful aid for both teachers and parents in helping to calm children who have become hyperactive, anxious, frustrated, or attention deficient.  

Lyn Dance, Headteacher, The Milestone School.