“A new approach to caring for people with advanced dementia is improving the quality of life for those who can no longer move and have limited capacity to communicate.

University of Western Sydney (UWS) researcher, Professor Esther Chang, last month explained how the Namaste Care Program could be implemented in aged care facilities, or in the home, during a free public lecture at the University of Wollongong.

The Namaste Care Program was based on providing loving touch and meaningful activities for residents of aged care facilities with end stage dementia or other terminal illnesses.

Namaste is a Hindu term meaning ‘to honour the spirit within’.

Namaste care uses colour, music, pleasant smells and a high level of physical contact between carers and people with dementia during daily routines to bring comfort and pleasure.

Professor Chang, who is director of research at the UWS School of Nursing and Midwifery, conducted what was described as the world’s first clinical evaluation of the Namaste Care Program, which was initially developed in America in 2004.

The trial, funded by the federal government’s Department of Health and Ageing, was conducted in six aged care facilities during 2010 and 2011.

During her lecture, Professor Chang discussed the results of the trial and demonstrated how carers could implement the Namaste Program – at little or no cost.

‘The high-touch protocol honours and respects the person dying from dementia while maintaining them comfortably in a residential facility,’ Professor Chang said.

‘It’s very sad that in residential aged care facilities, people with advanced dementia are often by themselves for long periods with no quality of life.’ ”

Many years ago, I often referred to studies done on premature babies, and have highlighted it with the following study. Longitudinal studies later showed the premature babies who were recipients of this pouch showed far fewer emotional and psychological problems than other premature babies. Back then I was referring to it in the context of healing and grief, when working with the Bereaved Through Suicide Support Group in 80’s and 90’s, as so often when a person is grieving, many people often retreat into themselves, and the power of touch is often missing in their lives. To bring it back is very healing.

Kangaroo’s Pouch Inspires Care for Premature Babies

By Elisabeth Rosenthal. Published: June 10, 1992

Inspired by marsupials, who nurture their young in a pouch, “kangaroo care” is challenging the high technology philosophy of intensive care for babies.

Until recently, pediatricians felt that premature infants should be isolated and not stimulated to conserve their strength for growth and maturation. But now, at the urging of intensive care nurses, a few hospitals are supplementing machines with this hands-on treatment and are finding great benefits for infants and their parents.

Kangaroo care allows for the bonding between parent and child that is usually precluded in intensive care units. And from those bonds may stem physical benefits: some studies have suggested that premature babies who “kangaroo” have fewer breathing problems, gain weight faster and maintain a more stable body temperature than babies confined to incubators, or isolettes.

“A lot of babies seem to improve when they’re being held by their parents,” said Dr. Steven Ringer, director of neonatal services at the Brigham. “It’s not science, but it makes some sense. They’ve been listening to this voice in the womb. Even the smallest babies recognize their family. And I think everyone recognizes that babies who are happier just tend to do better.” Read more…