In the Journal of Neurology (2016) it is stated that hearing impairments, and in particular hyperacusis, add complications to the care of those at the end stages of dementia. Hyperacusis is a painful and sometimes debilitating hearing distortion. For those with the condition, they tend to avoid noisy environments, finding them intolerable, but what of the person living with dementia in the Care Home? People can not escape from the sounds of the buffer machine cleaning the floor, the clink of the tea trolley, the hustle and bustle of care home life. Even the television, the radio, listening to music, all of these can exacerbate hyperacusis.
At Sound Memories, Director, Cheryl Beer has been exploring ways in which we can bring nature quietly indoors, using slow motion, silent films, watched and listened to through sound excluding headphones, thus closing off the outside sound, and yet enabling the relief that we know nature can bring, through visual stimuli. This research informed our Walk 19 project.
Silent Nature Research was funded thanks to a very kind donation from the Hunt family of Llanddarog, in loving memory of Wife & Mother, Mavis Hunt.
'Our Grandmother lived with dementia. Our Mother & Father cared for her. A resource such as this, would have made an amazing difference. We are pleased as a family, to be a small part of this innovative research.' Louise Lodwick (Daughter)
SILENT NATURE Wild Poppies, was filmed at Gorslwyd Farm Sound Healing Centre,