Where can PMR be carried out?

During my placement I observed/facilitated PMR in various ways. My first experience of PMR was in the mental health inpatient ward, which took place in a large room that was specifically used for group activities. In total, there were 4 clients plus myself taking part in the session and one occupational therapist who read out the script to us. Each of us had a mattress to lie down on and had a choice of a variety of items including blankets, pillows, and weighted objects (e.g. weighted toy dog), to allow maximum comfort. During this session, calming nature music was quietly playing in the background.

Many of the PMR sessions that I facilitated with my clients took place in a sensory room at the office I was based at. Sensory environments/rooms are designed to be a space where the client’s senses are stimulated and the client has complete control over how this is done. Senses are stimulated through the use of light, sound, touch and smell, and the overall aim of these types of environments is to ensure that the client feels safe (Fava & Strauss, 2010). The particular sensory room that I used had a range of equipment that the clients could choose from, including a massage chair, a rocking chair, foot stools, pillows, blankets, weighted blankets and animals, a large variety of scents, lighting with the ability to dim, music, a television screen with calming images, stress balls, and I’m sure there was a lot more that I didn’t see! I noticed that all 3 of my clients chose to sit in the massage chair, although other aspects differed between them. Some clearly enjoyed music playing in the background, whereas one didn’t and some enjoyed the lights dimmed, whereas one wanted the lights on full brightness. I found it very interesting to see how people relax in different ways to others and I also noticed that the clients who engaged in the one-on-one sessions in the sensory room were more focussed than those in the group sessions.

Another way PMR can be carried out is in the client’s home. I didn’t facilitate PMR in any of my client’s homes but I believe it would be an appropriate space for this intervention to be carried out as home is where the client feels most comfortable.

This is an example of what a sensory room may look like:

References:

Fava, L., & Strauss, K. (2010). Multi-sensory rooms: Comparing the effects of the Snoezelen and the Stimulus Preference environment on the behaviour of adults with profound mental retardation. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 31(1), 160-171.

Image retrieved July 19, 2013 from www.littleowlnursery.co.uk/day-nursery/sensory-room/sensoryroom1/