Clowning around improves residents wellbeing

Each Thursday residents at Bethanie Wearne Cottesloe are visited by an Elder Clown, who uses the power of humour to improve people’s wellbeing.

Posted March 1st 2016

by Margot White

Providers

<p>Every week residents at Wearne Cottesloe are visited by an Elder Clown from The Humour Foundation.</p> — Every week residents at Wearne Cottesloe are visited by an Elder Clown from The Humour Foundation.

The Elder Clown visits individual residents, many of whom are living with dementia, encouraging laughter, song and movement in an engaging and fun session.

Part way through the 12-week program, the Bethanie team at Wearne is seeing some very positive results from the participating residents.

Alex Fergusson, Bethanie Occupational Therapist says: “The program is a fantastic opportunity for staff to learn new techniques to improve the daily lives of residents.

“Bethanie is very forward thinking and keen to adopt new strategies, such as Laughter Therapy. It’s been proven to relieve pain, reduce blood pressure and decrease stress and we can see the results already,” according to Mr Fergusson.

“There’s a much more positive and warm atmosphere amongst the residents, following a session with the Elder Clown.”

The program, presented by The Humour Foundation, brings a professionally trained performer from the Foundation working as an Elder Clown, into the facility who works with staff to improve the quality of life of residents.

As an introduction to the Elder Clown Program, The Humour Foundation provided a one-day workshop for staff to help them develop the skills and confidence to bring laughter as therapy to residents.

Wearne Cottesloe, owned by not for profit organisation Curtin Care and operated by Bethanie, is the first aged care facility in Western Australia to introduce Elder Clowns.