An Cathaoirleach quoted from the County’s Age Friendly Strategy 2016-2020, and described how the Government’s vision and that of Age Friendly Ireland is to make Ireland ‘the best country in which to grow old’. One of the goals of the Strategy’s social participation strand is to provide opportunities for older people to stay socially connected. The Tovertafel is not only highly engaging but empowering, and it provides outlets for enjoyment and social interaction for older people.
Chris Baird – Head of Business Development for Tovertafel and the lead for Tovertafel in Ireland said the following, "We are delighted to be launching our first Tovertafel in Ireland at the Lexicon Library. We are always striving to encourage community spaces to become dementia friendly, so it is brilliant to see the Tovertafel installed at the heart of the community space for all generations to interact with."
The Tovertafel is an award-winning innovation from the Netherlands, which is renowned for its cutting-edge approach to dementia care. The technology has been designed to help those at a later stage of their dementia journey to be more active and to create moments of happiness. It consists of a series of interactive games that are projected onto a table. The light games encourage players to reach out towards them and the lights subsequently respond to their hand and arm movements, allowing the users to play with light.
The Tovertafel creates a fun, safe environment for its users. The games are formulated with the intention to trigger a sense of reminiscence among players in order to encourage stimulation socially, cognitively and physically. As light simulations, games are projected onto a table and include games with gardening and fishing themes and one with popping balloons. Tovertafel is also developing games for those with autism and a wide variety of learning disabilities so the potential of this technology is enormous.
Individuals or organisations wishing to book the LexIcon table are invited to contact the library at dlrlexiconlib@dlrcoco.ie or by phoning 01-2801147. Deansgrange users should email deansgrangelib@dlrcoco.ie or phone 01-2850860.
