Sephardic Foundation on Aging Awards a $25,000 Grant to Jeffrey & Susan Brudnick Center for Living
Earlier this summer, the New York-based Sephardic Foundation on Aging (SFOA) awarded a $25,000 grant to the Jeffrey & Susan Brudnick Center for Living (BCL) to create a Sensory Room for our residents in BCL’s Dementia Special Care Unit (DSCU).
Unlike a standard memory care unit, our DSCUs, under the supervision of Susan LeClaire, serve a population with advanced cognitive decline and complex care needs, providing round-the-clock supervision and significant assistance with nearly all daily activities, including dressing, bathing, and meals.
These residents exhibit challenging behaviors due to the progressive deterioration of brain cells that causes dementia and often become frustrated while trying to communicate to their caregivers what they need and what problems they are experiencing, which can often lead to agitated behaviors.
A sensory room is a specially designed non-judgmental environment that features a variety of assistive equipment and therapeutic tools that have proven to be highly effective in reducing anxiety and agitation in people with dementia. This intervention serves to mitigate the risks and impact on the individual (and potentially other residents and staff) that may result from negative emotions and behaviors. Sensory stimulation is defined as anything that affects one of our five senses — sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch – and a sensory room addresses these key elements. A resident in distress will experience the room’s soft lighting, pleasing imagery, soothing music, inviting scent, and its varied tactile objects. Collectively, this environment fosters a sense of peace and well-being and enables the resident to return to a calmer state.
Many of the therapeutic tools are designed to not only de-escalate the moment, but also encourage communication, which may aid in improving cognitive function. This initiative not only encourages individual exploration but always respects the inherent worth of each resident – a core component of CJL’s mission.
We anticipate use of the dedicated space to begin in late fall, following installation of equipment and training of DSCU staff. Thank you to the Sephardic Foundation for its support and commitment to Chelsea Jewish Lifecare!
* For over 60 years, SFOA has fostered innovation and collaboration in the field of aging so older people and their communities have the support and resources they need to flourish. In 2022, SFOA awarded the Katzman Center for Living a $75,000 grant to implement new tools and strategies for improving the quality of life for residents.
