‘Hugger’ is a comfort to dementia sufferers
THROUGHOUT Wales, thousands of people with dementia are unable to see, touch or interact with their loved ones as a result of Covid-19.
Care homes have been forced to put a temporary stop on visiting in an effort to protect their vulnerable residents from catching the potentially deadly virus.
As a consequence, it has left many feeling deeply lonely, confused and longing for the familiarity of their friends and family.
But a new “hugging” device, created by researchers at Cardiff Metropolitan University, is being brought into such settings to provide a much-needed dose of comfort.
While it looks like a soft toy on the outside, the HUG has an electronic beating heart and a speaker that can play a person’s favourite music and sounds. It also has weighted arms and legs so it can resemble a “real cwtch” as much as possible.
Following five years in development, the aid has been proven to reduce levels of anxiety and depression and improve the well-being of those with advanced dementia.
“It gives the sensation of both giving and receiving a hug at the same time,” explained Professor Cathy Treadaway, from the Centre for Applied Research (CARIAD) at Cardiff School of Art & Design, who led the research team.
“We live in a very touch-deprived society at the moment, and a lot of people are suffering with ‘touch poverty’, particularly with Covid.
“Even before the pandemic, people with
dementia were often the most marginalised in our communities, with many not receiving any visitors at all.
“Although HUG isn’t meant to replace people, having an alternative that gives the sensation of that connection is going to be comforting.”
The university’s latest research, which has been funded by the Welsh Government, allowed it to take 19 HUG devices into Sunrise Senior Living care home in Cyncoed, Cardiff.
“In terms of well-being, 87% of participants who had a HUG for six months had an improvement in their well-being,” added Prof Treadaway, who said the devices were also being used by dementia and stroke patients at
University Hospital Llandough.
“We know it works and we’ve seen it work. There was one lady who used it for three months and her daughter said she ‘came back to life’ again.
“It was amazing to see. She started to eat, she started to talk, she started to socialise. She was so withdrawn before.”
Despite the HUG aiming to reduce anxiety and boost stimulation, Prof Treadaway said there were unintended positive benefits to using the device.
“We’ve had reports of people not falling as much as they used to, which costs the NHS such a lot of money and causes such distress to the patient and their family.”
Following the success of recent trials and evaluations, the HUG is now going into mass production so it can be used in care homes and other facilities across the UK.
A spin-out limited company, called HUG by Laugh, has now been launched, together with a crowdfunding campaign aimed at funding large-scale production.
“Our aim is to get the product out and available for people to access. We are absolutely thrilled that the university is supporting us to set up the business and make HUGs available.”
Prof Treadaway said the device might also be beneficial to people with other conditions including children with autism, those with ME and people who were housebound.
HUG was named both People’s Choice and overall Winner of Winners in the AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards 2020.
The awards recognise organisations and individuals who use digital technology to improve the lives of others and make the world a better place.