How Aquariums Provide Emotional Therapy for Dementia Patients

Putting your family member into a nursing home can be a difficult decision, especially for patients with dementia. People with dementia can have difficulty adjusting to a new living situation and can quickly become upset. They may long for the comfort and familiar atmosphere of their own home. This homesickness is why an aquarium might be just what your nursing home needs to help dementia patients feel calmer in their new living situation. 

 

In some situations, dementia patients can be agitated, restless, and even violent. They may not be able to eat or sleep properly, causing them to throw fits. People with dementia become agitated and angry because of the inability to process memories and thoughts logically, making it difficult to make sense of their surroundings. Getting Alzheimer’s patients engaged in an exciting activity can help them leave their worries behind and focus on the excitement of a new thing. Having an aquarium in a nursing home is the perfect way to get people with dementia to concentrate on other things than worrying. 

Watching colorful fish swimming around has been proven to brighten dementia patients’ moods and sleeping habits. Also, the calming running water sounds that aquariums produce can create a peaceful environment for anyone with Alzheimer’s. For these reasons, custom aquariums have been popping up all over nursing homes to try and improve dementia patients’ quality of life. 

Benefits for All Patients

Custom aquariums are not just beneficial for dementia patients but can be helpful for all nursing home patients. Aquariums can create an atmosphere that reduces pain, depression, and anxiety. Dementia patients, regular patients, and even nursing home staff should expect to see improvements in their mental states when being near a fish tank. 

Aquariums can also help nursing home residents to build social bonds with other patients. Since fish tanks create a calm and peaceful environment, residents will have an easier time speaking with each other and forming bonds. Aquariums can also bring out the creative side of people and can rekindle a patient’s love for arts and crafts. So if you’re trying to get your patients to participate in nursing home activities, a fish tank will definitely help motivate them. 

Several studies support having aquariums around as a form of therapy. These studies have found that dementia patients experienced improvements in their behaviors and moods by introducing an aquarium. They also found that there was a decrease in verbal and physical aggression with the introduction of an aquarium. Other studies have shown that dementia patients who spend time around aquatic pets experience improvements in sleep patterns and general mood.

Build a Custom Fish Tank

If your nursing home has been looking for a way to create a calming atmosphere, then an aquarium is the way to go. It will help patients with dementia and regular patients have a tranquil experience while staying in your nursing home. Also, your staff will find that the presence of a fish tank leaves them feeling less anxiety and frustration.

Aquatic-based therapy is becoming a hot topic in the world of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Some people have found that aquatic-based therapy uniquely stimulates patients’ minds. So contact Okeanos Aquascaping of New York to get a custom aquarium for your nursing home. Help your patients heal and feel at peace with a custom fish tank that can fit any open space.