BEAN BAGS  

The use of Bean Bags allows us to stimulate emotional connection, laughter and conversation with those who have dementia.

Originally, when we came up with this deceptively simple idea, our intent was to create an environment of inclusion and participation. We simply hoped elders could do something together that was more than sharing space.

Quickly, however, Bean Bags evolved into a powerful communication tool…great for hand-eye coordination, boosting self-esteem and encouraging decision making.

Very early we saw repeated examples of participants (who were seated in a circle) making decisions about where to toss the Bean Bag. The choice to send it to a certain person was akin to gift giving and, in many cases, a substitute for spoken messages. Of course, tosses ranged from careful and very gentle to spirited throws with gusto…and gales of laughter.

One of the hallmark communication skills for caregivers to use with those who have dementia is patience. Frequently, those with memory loss have difficulty gathering thoughts and/or forming sentences. Bean Bags give both parties “something to do” while the wheels are turning. No conversation is necessary…just a simple toss and catch. During this silent period, nonverbal communication often creates an emotional connection.

Here's one vivid example. We watched a man (who was emotionally crushed by the changes in his wife due to Alzheimer's) experience a truly magical afternoon. The bags circled around the room in a three-way toss. After a relatively short time, words to an old and familiar hymn (Count Your Blessings) began to flow from Zelma's memory vaults. It was clear she had not attended a church that sang only the first and last verses of hymns.

We have seen things like this happen dozens of times.

Bean Bags become a low-tech connection device to wire people and time together. They are magical in that they transcend language barriers, bridge cultural differences, and often accommodate a wide variety of physical abilities.

If you can toss, catch, and keep the pace of conversation matched to the time needed for a person with dementia to respond, you're going to be blown away by what happens when you have a couple of Bean Bags.

For a longer article explaining the origin of this concept, CLICK HERE.

WHAT'S IN 'EM?

In our original Bean Bag design, we filled small sacks with dried pinto beans. One resident with dementia, Mel, caught a bag, began to carefully feel the tiny objects inside the cloth cover and exclaimed, “Now if only we had a slab of ham, we'd have ourselves a feast!”

Since then, we have changed our filling material from beans to polypropylene pellets (plastic). Now the bags get dirty, are thrown into washing machines, and come out clean and fresh…but we suspect they wouldn't be very good with ham.

If you would like to place an order, please e-mail rachel@edcongroup.org