Well-being modules

The St. Katharina retirement home is located in the heart of the charming town of Endingen am Kaiserstuhl. Since 2006, the home has offered its 129 residents something very special: senior wellness. For all three living areas, the sponsoring group and the sponsoring organization purchased lift-up bath tubs with sound wave massage and colored light modules from Trautwein GmbH. The initial feedback from the nursing staff has been thoroughly positive: The residents find bathing very pleasant and are enthusiastic,” says Bruno Kümmerle, head of the residential area, describing the experience. Especially dementia patients are relaxed and calmed down after the bath, his colleagues Gabriele Grün and Clarissa Lemperle also confirm.

Home manager Barbara Schnellen is also very satisfied: The bathroom has taken on a different significance today. It is more than cleaning. The positive mood immediately after the bath is clearly noticeable. Bedridden residents are relaxed and sleep well. Spasticity becomes more relaxed. Residents who can no longer express themselves notice the relaxation.

The positive effect of light on people’s mood is supported by a micro-massage, because the music does not come from loudspeakers, but directly from the tub – it is the loudspeaker. The bather not only hears the music, he feels it in every fiber of his body. Each cell is massaged and thus the entire sensory system of the bather is activated. Statements such as “it tickles your bottom” show that bathers are becoming more aware of their bodies again.

The new form of bathing is also very well received by employees. The concept is fully supported. The bathing atmosphere has completely changed, the feel-good factor is significantly higher. Nothing has been changed in the room, but the neon light is now switched off when bathing, so that the colored light of the tub can fully unfold. The bath is used only with sound wave massage, music and colored light and has an additional positive effect on the employees’ state of mind. Here, too, a sense of well-being spreads. Motivation has increased, work is easier. What was previously considered too stressful is now more likely to be tolerated.

Many so-called soft factors could not yet be measured. Because the residents are happier, the work is easier, some things are done faster. On top of that, an oil dispersion unit was purchased for bathing and is now in use. A special swirling technique binds nourishing oil in fine droplets in the water. The nourishing effect of the oil is thus enhanced, the skin becomes soft, tender and well-groomed. Depending on the need, St. John’s wort oil is used for dry, flaky skin, for example, or cold baths are administered. Many residents perceive the subtle scent of the oil as additional aromatherapy.

A particularly positive aspect of the oil dispersion bath is that the risk of slipping is significantly lower, as the oil is bound in the water.

Cleaning, therapy and care are combined in bathing. Additional tasks, such as creaming and oiling after the bath, are eliminated.

Home Manager Ms. Schnellen is proud that her home offers residents something very special. In this way, their home stands out from the wide range of senior citizens’ nursing homes. Residents and their families appreciate that.