Something magical is happening inside memory care assisted living at Good Samaritan Society – Prairie Creek.
“It’s almost magic,” activities coordinator Brittany Foos said with a laugh. “I mean, it really is.”
It’s called a Tovertafel. The Dutch word translates to “magic table” in English.
“It’s this whole different almost world for them that they can move and interact with,” Foos said.
The interactive projector is mounted to the ceiling above a table or flat surface. From there, the Tovertafel projects vibrant images in the form of games and activities aimed at purposeful play, especially for residents who are nonverbal.
“Someone who is relatively non-responsive or has limited responses, this is a way for them to engage and they kind of come alive,” Foos said. “It unlocks a part of their brain and brings back a little bit of themselves.”
The company behind the Tovertafel says it’s used in more than 10,000 dementia communities worldwide.
Prairie Creek has two – shipped from the Netherlands – thanks to a grant from the Good Samaritan Foundation.
“Dementia can be a very isolating and confusing journey for everybody involved,” said memory care manager Kelsey Nicola. “So seeing them enjoy themselves with activities really brings me peace knowing that we’re doing what we can to take care of them the best we can.”
Activities for all
A paid subscription comes with 44 games, plus a rotation of new games and updates for holidays and changing seasons.
“Just to see them see this and the colors and just engage and interact – their faces change, their personality changes,” Foos said. “It’s akin to when you see someone light up with music.”
Despite the wide array of activities, there are some fan favorites.
“One of our residents, her favorite are flowers where you touch the flower, and they grow bigger. She loved to garden, so she loves the flowers and the colors,” Foos said. “We have a gentleman who prefers the music activities because music is a really big part of his life, and he loves those. We cycle through a lot – like the bubble popping one is always a hit. Who doesn’t love popping bubbles?”
Photo by Justin Wulf, Sanford Health
Creating meaningful connections
The Tovertafels have also been shown to reduce stress and tense behavior for residents and improve interactions with staff.
“It helps with anxiety or someone who’s having a bad day,” Foos said. “You can bring them here and kind of shift their gears a little bit to having more of a positive interaction where it might have otherwise been frustrating or negative and you felt like you were not getting anywhere. But here it’s like you’re accomplishing something. And they feel that accomplishment, too.”
“That improves resident and staff interaction because if they’re doing that, then they’re not quite as agitated or not feeling maybe as anxious as they otherwise did,” added Nicola. “It just makes the day go better for everybody involved.”
The technology also creates opportunities for connection with families and their loved ones in memory care.
“It creates a very meaningful visit when they’re able to sit at the Tovertafel together and interact and play and have fun,” Foos said.
Nicola’s office shares a wall will one of the rooms that house a Tovertafel. She can hear the laughter and excitement from those interactions.
“I hope people can see that the things that we do to improve that quality of life, that it’s not just a job to us. It’s something that we really take at heart,” she said.
“Being able to provide the quality of life I’d want my family to have, to be a part of that is magical and fun,” added Foos. “I get to play with my friends every day and I love it.”
Learn more
- Retired music director helps to unlock forgotten feelings
- What to do when a loved one is diagnosed with dementia
- Exercise, social time can slow progression of Alzheimer’s
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Posted In Rehabilitation & Therapy, Senior Services, Sioux Falls, Specialty Care
