Your memory care unit is a busy place, bustling with resident, staff, and visitor activity. Unfortunately, too much stimulation can create an emotionally unhealthy environment for residents. Here’s how to keep things calm.

If your senior living community has a memory care unit, you already know how busy it can be. It’s bustling with all sorts of resident, staff, and visitor activity.

All that extra stimulation can increase anxiety and negative behaviors in residents. Here’s how to keep the environment cozy, peaceful, and calm.

In this article we cover:

  • What Can Cause Too Much Stimulation
  • Why Environment Matters
  • 3 Steps for Creating a Calm Environment

Related Activities



Comments   Post a Comment

Susan 18th Jul 2020 Activity Director
Thank you for your kind words and for sharing this information on golden Carers
Evangeline 17th Jul 2020 Registered Manager
Hallo Hayley

Thank you for your incredibly insightful , wonderful account relating to creating a calm environment for our amazing residents. I have taken over a care home that needs TLC and we have made great progress in ensuring that new ideas relating to the importance of sensory rooms being provided to those that are sadly unable to leave them. Staff are encouraged to take time with our residents to get to know them holistically and ensure that their day is calm yet meaningful. Lounges have a quiet area where some residents like to draw or paint with soft music on, an area to watch television and socialise, corridors with seated areas to create a Place to sit in peace or have a chat . The layout is such in our home that there are different types of areas for our residents to suit their mood , personalities. Our pat rabbit ‘Harriet’ has been an amazingly, calming, reassuring source of comfort especially to our residents that are end of life and they just love Harriet to lay with them whilst they stroke her. It is so vitally important that we use all of the senses to ensure our residents’-live’ and not just ‘exist’ and this is what person centred and relationship centred care is about. There is so much learning to be done as our residents change and new residents come and reside with us , we have to ensure that we are able to adapt, predict even sometimes what is needed to help them feel calm and safe. We have such a privileged role in caring for these people and we all have a duty of care to ensure our residents feel valued and respected for the amazing lives they have led and to ensure they feel safe and secure in their new home. I miss being Activities CoOrdinator full time and Ralphland already has an incredible Activity CoOrdinator but as a Manager I try to ensure that my knowledge is passed on and this site has proven an invaluable aid to our care home. Thank you so much for your brilliant ideas. Evangeline
Haley 10th Jul 2020 Recreation Therapist And Writer
Haley submitted a new article: How To Create A Calm Environment For Memory Care
Help