Sensory-, Stimuli-, and Snoezel Room with Therapy Light

Non-Pharmacological Stimuli

In LIGHTCARE we are inspired by the effects the sun and the darkness can have on people’s health. We know that a combination of LED lighting technology and researcher validated light waves can boost and block our hormone production of stress-, happiness-, sleep hormones cortisol, serotonin and melatonin. LIGHTCARE has worked determined to make the entire sensory room’s advanced equipment simple and intuitive to use. By innovation and user involvement we have focused on optimizing the safety of the residents and patients by using non-pharma-cological stimuli. We offer a solution which includes audio-visual stimuli, which has been tested and ap-proved in the South Denmark Region, the Mid Region and the Capital Region based on over 30 installations. The themes are based on evidence-based contents, ease of use and simplicity.

Sensory- and Therapy Room with Light Boost

Light plays an essential role in a sensory room. Light therapy resets our inner clock/ circadian rhythm. Messing up our circadian rhythm can lead to many different illnesses/ diseases e.g. winter depression (SAD). Therapy lights can boost our natural circadian rhythm and thus the production of different hormones. We can thereby correct certain imbalances in our hormone system without the use of medicine. In addition to regulating our circadian rhythm, therapy lights also give us more energy.

Therapy lights makes the serotonin, ‘happiness hormone’, levels rise. In fact, the light makes special type of cells in the eye report to the brain that it should produce more serotonin. Serotonin is of great importance to a large number of physiological functions in both the central nervous system and in the peripheral nervous system; e.g. sleep, mood, memory and libido. In addition, serotonin plays a role in psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression.

LIGHT THERAPY

• Stabilises the circadian rhythm
• Gives more energy
• Makes levels of serotonin in the brain rise
• Absence of blue light affects melatonin levels
• Pain relieving effects

WINTER DEPRESSION

Winter Depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is caused mainly due to lack of light. Through music, pictures, scent and light therapy, we “travel” to a sunny place. There is evidence that 15-20 minutes of light therapy, where we boost the production of serotonin, is optimal for effective help against SAD symptoms. »You get a winter depression (SAD) because you don’t get enough light. Light affects the levels of the substance serotonin in the brain, and it is the lack of the substance that often plays a crucial role when you get depressed “, says the chief Physician and Ph.D. Klaus Martiny, Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen.«

” The immediate difference between common depression and winter depression is, of course, winter depression is season dependent. In addition, some people with winter depression experience atypical symptoms in relation to what depressed people generally experience. People with winter depression become more irritable, sleep more, have a larger appetite and accordingly too often gains weight. This is not what happens with people who have regular depression- on the contrary.”

Although we all have a smaller stock of serotonin at winter, some become more affected than others – which is due to the coding of our genes. Through experience we know that light therapy works best for winter depression. But it’s also used for regular / non-seasonal depression – both alone and in interaction with medicine.

LIGHT THERAPY PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

• Residents find more peace of mind when they get to the sensory room.
• Increased interaction between citizen / patient and staff.
• Several staff groups can use the emergency room.
• The patient / citizen obtains natural sleep in the sensory room.
• Decreased levels of conflict.
• Reduction of coercion (physical isolation).
• Transcends linguistic and cultural barriers.
• A new way of communicating with the patient / citizen.