Sensory rooms in Hospitals

The concept of using a sensory room in a hospital is not new. Patients, particularly the bed-bound are often lacking any form of stimulation. This is not good for recovery. The brain and the body can easily slip into acceptance of the illness or condition, leading to a lack of the optimism which is so helpful for recovery.

A sensory room is so enthralling, it lifts the spirits in everyone. So, it makes sense to offer this stimulation to those in hospital.

But there is a logistical problem. The patient has to be moved from her bed to a trolley, wheeled along corridors, possibly into a lift, and finally into a sensory room. One of the virtues of the sensory room is its calming, soothing environment, quite the opposite of the bustle and jerkiness of the move. By the time the return journey has been completed many of the beneficial effects of the room have been overcome by the trauma involved in the move. It is not, as I am sure you can imagine, a procedure that endears itself to the hard-pressed hospital team.

The solution is the portable sensory station. Instead of moving the patient to the room, the room is moved to the patient. TFH pioneered this concept over thirty years ago with our Vecta. The first version was, let’s admit, quite primitive but we have continued to develop and improve its design, and to offer different versions at different prices.

Although the original intention was that the Vecta would be a bedside experience for an individual patient, it was soon discovered that by darkening the entire ward, everyone, including the ward sister, enjoyed the experience. What has been achieved is more than moving the sensory room to the patient, we have moved it to several patients.

A further benefit of having a Vecta in the ward is that, by adjusting the music and the light effects, it can produce an atmosphere that is helpful for drifting off into sleep.

We know of some hospitals where there is a dedicated Vecta for individual wards.

The Vecta is made of Finsa Hyrdofugo, which is a moisture resistant mdf used in hospital furniture etc. We seal all areas to avoid infection It is supplied with a hospital grade battery and power strip.

If you would like to investigate the idea of installing a Vecta in your facility, please visit our website or contact our office. The Vecta is simplicity itself. It is plug in and go.