Nursing home residents to be stimulated by ‘magic table’
TABLE top gaming consoles are taking off in memory care communities and the residents of a nursing home in Castlebar can now enjoy its benefits.
The console – also known as a ‘magic table’ – was officially unveiled in AbbeyBreaffy Nursing Home for residents, donated by the family of a former resident, Kathleen Moran, with her children Caroline Heneghan and John Moran attending as well as Kathleen’s husband John Snr.
Caroline and John Jnr’s mother, Kathleen, passed away in 2019 from dementia and spent the final six months of her life in AbbeyBreaffy Nursing Home.
"Dementia has many challenges, engagement and communication at the forefront," said Caroline. "Too many families have little or no interactions or engagements with their loved ones. That said, we wanted to help change this with the help of Homecare Medical and we found the Tovertafel."
The Tovertafel is a games console that has an interactive series of games on it. It consists of projected light that detects hand movement and is designed for people with cognitive impairment and dementia.
The Tovertafel projector, which was kindly sponsored by John Paul Construction, breaks down these barriers and among the benefits of using it are mental stimulation, engagement, inclusion, improved patient care, playful fun, promotion of happiness and physical activity.
"John Paul Construction continually offer support and assistance for the communities we live in," said John, who is also a construction director of John Paul Construction. "We have great pleasure in supporting this initiative where the residents of AbbeyBreaffy will benefit from the physical and emotional well-being offered by this unit.”
Established in 2001, AbbeyBreaffy Nursing Home is part of the Brookhaven Healthcare group and delivers person-centred, professional care in an environment that supports mental, spiritual, and emotional enrichment.
They strive to provide a safe and caring home for residents which allows them to stay active and engaged with friends, families and the wider community and have been providing outstanding care to residents over the last 20 years.
Thanking John Paul Construction for sponsoring the Tovertafel projector and Caroline Heneghan from Home Care Medical for organising this donation for AbbeyBreaffy Nursing Home, Selda Susan Babu, person in charge at AbbeyBreaffy, said: "We thank the Moran family for donating this projector for our residents in loving memory of their mother, Kathleen Moran, who was a former resident in our nursing home in 2019. We would like to thank John Moran (Kathleen’s husband), John Moran and Caroline Heneghan for visiting our residents in AbbeyBreaffy Nursing Home and donating the Tovertafel projector.
"It’s a donation that will enrich the lives of our residents for years to come. It’s our family looking after your family."
The Moran family was thanked by AbbeyBreaffy Nursing Home CEO and chairman Tim Murphy, clinical director Eveline Sheeran, Person in Charge Selda Susan Babu, Assistant Director of Care Josipa Akinradewo, and all the staff and residents in AbbeyBreaffy Nursing Home.