Laughter therapy and those with dementia

Laughter benefits everyone including those with dementia.

Do you have a laughter club?

click here for to find out what laughter really is.

You as an activities director can run one. Or invite your staff or volunteers to facilitate a laughter group.

A great "immune booster" is a Laughter Club:
Laughter groups can promote laughing for fun, exercise, deeper breather, energy and immune system boost, and an outlet for expression.

Click here for another reason to have a laughter group

Here is how to run a laughter therapy program

The key to facilitating a laughter therapy program is to have confidence, enjoy yourself and create a relaxed and safe environment for people to participate. Residents who are confident, less inhibited and willing to experiment with you will help make up your successful group. Some tips are:
* Create a small, intimate group in a circle away from distraction
* Start by slowly speaking and demonstrate some simple deeper breathing exercises
* Progress to letting out breathes in short pants such as "hah, hah, hah" and slowly turn them to laughing sounds
* Experiment with different laughs such as "he he, ho ho, huh, huh" giggles, low and high pitched laughs
* Use eye contact, match other people's laugh sounds, and keep going for as long as is comfortable
* Regular laughter groups will encourage greater confidence and participation as time goes on. At least twice weekly is recommended, meeting at the same familiar time and place
* Don't feel comfortable yet but would like to try? Start your program as a relaxation or breathing exercise group, and slowly introduce laughter as one of your breathing exercises. Over time we are sure you will feel comfortable with progressing to laugher therapy, or you may wish to keep it as one of several breathing excercises. Either way, the benefits are positive and will boost energy, reduce stress, encourage friendships and improve overall wellbeing.
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