New ‘HUGS’ sensory device for people living with dementia launches in Wrexham

An event showcasing what Wrexham has been doing to support people living with dementia and their carers has taken place.

Held at Tŷ Pawb, the event included the launch of HUGS – a new sensory device aimed at giving people living with dementia pleasure and comfort.

It was designed by a team led by Cathy Treadaway at Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Centre for Applied Research in Inclusive Arts and Design, or Cariad.

HUGs are designed to be cuddled and have a beating heart with a soft body. They can play music and can be easily changed to a favourite playlist. The product is not yet on the open market, but Wrexham will be one of the first places to use them in a community setting.

There was also a display showing RemPods to attendees. The reminiscence pods help to transform any care space and offer a naturally calming and therapeutic experience which makes it easier for older people in care, especially those with dementia to tap into memories from their past, giving them grounding and comfort.

They are designed to help people living with dementia make memories more vivid, detailed, emotional and personal.

Care homes across Wrexham are enjoying the delights of these special sensory boxes and RemPods.

The boxes and the Rempods have been distributed to every care home in Wrexham thanks to funding from the Dementia Action Plan, provided by the Welsh Government via the Adult Social Care Commissioning and Contracts team.

Commenting on the use of the Rempods, an activity co-ordinator, working in one of the care homes in Wrexham said: “I’ve found the sensory box to be really valuable in getting people engaged.

“We’ve had loads of fun with the painting and puzzles. Families have been so surprised to see their family member painting when they visit it’s encouraged them to join in, turning what would have been a 10-15 minute visit into quality time and staying longer.”

“The RemPods have been great, people have joined in activities and they have generated some wonderful memories for people.”