Namaste Care Programme

Joyce Simard, an American social worker, developed the Namaste Care programme to address the gap in provision of social, emotional and psychological support for people living with advanced dementia. She observed that dementia care focused more on medical concerns and “the experience of advanced dementia remains misunderstood and underserved”.

 

The programme seeks to “honour the spirit within” each individual. The two principles which define the practice of Namaste care are:

1. A comfortable environment which promotes:

• Sense of calm
• Small group setting and family-like
• Meaningful verbal and non-verbal communication

2. An unhurried loving touch focusing on:

• Massage of hands and feet, hair and nail care
• Sensory stimulation from meaningful activities included in the programme

These principles are applied in both group and individual programmes. A hand massage is one of the ways to provide “tender, loving care”. Hand massages have demonstrated positive benefits such as reducing pain and anxiety, and also promotes relaxation for persons living with dementia.

The Namaste Care programme can be adapted in different settings, for example, a hospital, in the community such as a day facility, a nursing home, and at home.

In addition, in a 2019 guide published by University of Worcester, they noted that Community Care organisations that delivered the programme reaped these benefits:

For persons living with dementia (residents)

• Substantial reduction in agitation with significant increase in quality of life for participating residents
• Improvements in areas such as communication, eating and drinking, weight gain, calling out, aggression and well-being expressions were noted

For professional caregivers

• A neutral impact on staff job satisfaction, stress or burnout
• A positive experience by staff involved in programme helped foster closer relationships with their residents

For family and visitors

• Families involved in training or sessions saw positive impact on their loved ones
• Presented new ways of communication by families with their loved one

Namase Care Training For Caregivers (Basic)

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Through this e-learning course, you will get to learn about Namaste Care principles, the benefits of Namaste Care, and hand massage techniques. Click here or on the image to access the course.

Namaste Checklist​​

Click on the image below to download a larger version.

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Introduction to Namaste Care​

Download these slides​ on Namaste Care by the Institute of Geriatrics and Active Ageing​.