ERASMUS+ 2023
VIII Snoezelen Days - Pamplona (Spain)
On the 27th and 28th of October, the VIII Snoezelen Days took place in Pamplona (Spain). The Foundation was present with the technical team, in this first mobility within the scope of the Erasmus+ Adult Education Program "The Multisensory Approach to Better Care". Throughout the event, there were moments of training and sharing of experiences about the Snoezelen Approach with several international speakers, which allowed technical skills to be reinforced.
Seminar "Snoezelen Multisensory Environments, Well-Being and Caring through the Senses" (Pombal)
The Seminar “Snoezelen Multisensory Environments, Wellbeing and Care through the Senses” took place on 15/02/2024 at Teatro Cine de Pombal, organized by the Dr. José Lourenço Júnior Foundation, from Abiul, which had the support of the Municipality of Pombal and the Erasmus+ Program.
The event featured a panel of excellent speakers, highlighting the privilege of listening to Ad Verhuel (mentor of this approach, from the De Hartenberg Institute) who, since the 70s, initiated, developed, implemented and disseminated the Snoezelen approach in an absolutely exceptional way. all over the world. Rita Silva, brought us the Foundation's experience with practical cases ongoing at the institution and the impact on residents. Marrubi Luna and Garazi Blasco brought from Pamplona the experience of Microcooperativa Txiribuelta in the innovative implementation of Snoezelen in the aquatic environment. One of the most renowned national experts in Snoezelen and Humanitude Care, Amélia Martins, presented us with her extensive experience in caring for people with disabilities and/or dementia and referred to clear evidence of the impact of the multisensory approach on care.
We also heard from Sylvie Cherondo, from Soezelen Global, who from the Algarve brought us examples of different initiatives in the South of the country and partnerships between different institutions, which allow for a wider use and profitability of existing spaces, ensuring access to these spaces for a wide audience.
There were 114 participants present, from 51 institutions, from Local Health Units, Santas Casa da Misericórdia, Cooperatives and Associations for the Education and Rehabilitation of Unadapted Citizens, School Groups, Institutions and Social Centers, among many others.
54 municipalities were represented from the north to the south of the country, including Funchal and Angola. The main areas of training for those enrolled were: around 18% Nursing, 14% Occupational Therapists, 10% Social Work, 9% Psychology, 7% Socio-Cultural Animation, 3% Psychomotor Rehabilitation, among others.
Training with Marc Thiry, Snoezelen San Frontieres, Liège, Belgium
Between the 10th and 15th of April 2024, we were in Liège, in an exceptional training with Marc Thiry, Snoezelen San Frontieres, this was the second #Erasmus+ mobility. These were intense days of experiences, learning and enjoying moments rich in knowledge and good practices in the multi-sensory snoezelen approach, sharing knowledge and strong teamwork. We had the privilege of presenting the work that is done in the Snoezelen room and in the sensory garden at Lar Otília Lourenço and the significant impacts they have had on our residents. Rita Silva showed some examples of sessions and interventions and her work was highly praised by Marc Thiry!
For the entire team it was an unforgettable experience, not only because of the knowledge they acquired but also because of the exceptional care, attention and dedication we received from Marc and Francoise!
We now return with more knowledge but also with more responsibility, to share, disseminate and even better Care!
Training with Spanish Association of Horticulture and Social and Therapeutic Gardening
The Dr. José Lourenço Júnior Foundation, in partnership with the Spanish Association of Horticulture and Social and Therapeutic Gardening, participated from September 11 to 14 with a team from the Otília Lourenço Home in Abiul in an exclusive training course in Horticulture and Social and Therapeutic Gardening (HJST) in Madrid, supported by the Erasmus+ Program.
This training aimed to equip employees with new tools for development in our Sensory Garden, promoting the physical, mental and emotional well-being of our residents.
This commitment reflects Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, 11 and 17, reinforcing the dedication of the Dr. José Lourenço Júnior Foundation to improve, diversify and qualify the services provided to the community.
The Fundação Otília Pessoa Murta Lourenço e marido Dr. José Lourenço Júnior had their application for the Erasmus + Program for Adult Education, 2023 approved, which means that it will benefit from development and networking activities at European level, which will contribute to improve the provision of services and diversify the technical knowledge of the staff, in terms of senior care.
Objectively, the approved application called “The Multisensorial Approach to Better Care” will allow the staff of Lar Otília Lourenço, in Abiul, to participate in specialized training in terms of multisensory approaches in the provision of care for the elderly, in two countries of the European Union, whose results will result in the institution's practices, in an effective benefit both for users and for the community.
For the institution, the opportunity that these mobility will bring is very important, namely in terms of:
- Consolidate the institution's public notoriety;
- Increase the quality of services, improve what you do;
- Enhance the interaction between employees and the transfer of knowledge.
Also for the community and partners, it represents a strengthening of the institution's dynamism, its values and its investment in society through the various initiatives.
It is expected that the sharing of results, lessons learned, achievements and conclusions and the contribution to the dissemination of good European practices will be presented in a seminar for technicians and the community in general.
It is recalled that the Erasmus+ Program supports training missions in adult education organizations abroad. These activities can be structured courses, training periods abroad, on-the-job monitoring/observation periods in schools or other relevant organisations. This is an excellent opportunity for the training and qualification of the institution's staff, as it allows the sharing of good practices, the opportunity to learn about methodologies and new approaches in the EU and the personal and professional enrichment of the employees involved.
