HUG by LAUGH, a sensory device for people living with advanced dementia

What soothes you? People living with advanced forms of dementia can often be isolated and anxious. There are also relatively few products created specifically for advanced dementia. HUG is a sensory product which was designed to meet these needs. With a weighted body and limbs, it mimics the feeling of giving and receiving a hug. The electronics unit in each device can be personalised with a person’s favourite music and can simulate a beating heart.

HUG was designed by researchers at Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2017. They used a technique known as compassionate design that heavily involved people living with dementia, their loved ones and their carers in the development process. HUG was initially designed for one specific person, Thelma, and the prototype had a hugely positive affect on her wellbeing. She was more social, more alert and had fewer falls. This success led to further funding and research which have meant that HUG is now widely available. HUG has also been trialled with other groups of people, such as patients in hospital after a stroke. Researchers found that, while it isn’t suitable for everyone, HUG is a useful low-risk intervention that does not have the negative side effects that can be associated with medication. In a trial in a care home, 87% of participants who used a HUG over a six-month period showed an increase in their wellbeing.

What soothes you? People living with advanced forms of dementia can often be isolated and anxious. There are also relatively few products created specifically for advanced dementia. HUG is a sensory product which was designed to meet these needs. With a weighted body and limbs, it mimics the feeling of giving and receiving a hug. The electronics unit in each device can be personalised with a person’s favourite music and can simulate a beating heart.

HUG was designed by researchers at Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2017. They used a technique known as compassionate design that heavily involved people living with dementia, their loved ones and their carers in the development process. HUG was initially designed for one specific person, Thelma, and the prototype had a hugely positive affect on her wellbeing. She was more social, more alert and had fewer falls. This success led to further funding and research which have meant that HUG is now widely available. HUG has also been trialled with other groups of people, such as patients in hospital after a stroke. Researchers found that, while it isn’t suitable for everyone, HUG is a useful low-risk intervention that does not have the negative side effects that can be associated with medication. In a trial in a care home, 87% of participants who used a HUG over a six-month period showed an increase in their wellbeing.

What soothes you? People living with advanced forms of dementia can often be isolated and anxious. There are also relatively few products created specifically for advanced dementia. HUG is a sensory product which was designed to meet these needs. With a weighted body and limbs, it mimics the feeling of giving and receiving a hug. The electronics unit in each device can be personalised with a person’s favourite music and can simulate a beating heart.

HUG was designed by researchers at Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2017. They used a technique known as compassionate design that heavily involved people living with dementia, their loved ones and their carers in the development process. HUG was initially designed for one specific person, Thelma, and the prototype had a hugely positive affect on her wellbeing. She was more social, more alert and had fewer falls. This success led to further funding and research which have meant that HUG is now widely available. HUG has also been trialled with other groups of people, such as patients in hospital after a stroke. Researchers found that, while it isn’t suitable for everyone, HUG is a useful low-risk intervention that does not have the negative side effects that can be associated with medication. In a trial in a care home, 87% of participants who used a HUG over a six-month period showed an increase in their wellbeing.

What soothes you? People living with advanced forms of dementia can often be isolated and anxious. There are also relatively few products created specifically for advanced dementia. HUG is a sensory product which was designed to meet these needs. With a weighted body and limbs, it mimics the feeling of giving and receiving a hug. The electronics unit in each device can be personalised with a person’s favourite music and can simulate a beating heart.

HUG was designed by researchers at Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2017. They used a technique known as compassionate design that heavily involved people living with dementia, their loved ones and their carers in the development process. HUG was initially designed for one specific person, Thelma, and the prototype had a hugely positive affect on her wellbeing. She was more social, more alert and had fewer falls. This success led to further funding and research which have meant that HUG is now widely available. HUG has also been trialled with other groups of people, such as patients in hospital after a stroke. Researchers found that, while it isn’t suitable for everyone, HUG is a useful low-risk intervention that does not have the negative side effects that can be associated with medication. In a trial in a care home, 87% of participants who used a HUG over a six-month period showed an increase in their wellbeing.

What soothes you? People living with advanced forms of dementia can often be isolated and anxious. There are also relatively few products created specifically for advanced dementia. HUG is a sensory product which was designed to meet these needs. With a weighted body and limbs, it mimics the feeling of giving and receiving a hug. The electronics unit in each device can be personalised with a person’s favourite music and can simulate a beating heart.

HUG was designed by researchers at Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2017. They used a technique known as compassionate design that heavily involved people living with dementia, their loved ones and their carers in the development process. HUG was initially designed for one specific person, Thelma, and the prototype had a hugely positive affect on her wellbeing. She was more social, more alert and had fewer falls. This success led to further funding and research which have meant that HUG is now widely available. HUG has also been trialled with other groups of people, such as patients in hospital after a stroke. Researchers found that, while it isn’t suitable for everyone, HUG is a useful low-risk intervention that does not have the negative side effects that can be associated with medication. In a trial in a care home, 87% of participants who used a HUG over a six-month period showed an increase in their wellbeing.

What soothes you? People living with advanced forms of dementia can often be isolated and anxious. There are also relatively few products created specifically for advanced dementia. HUG is a sensory product which was designed to meet these needs. With a weighted body and limbs, it mimics the feeling of giving and receiving a hug. The electronics unit in each device can be personalised with a person’s favourite music and can simulate a beating heart.

HUG was designed by researchers at Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2017. They used a technique known as compassionate design that heavily involved people living with dementia, their loved ones and their carers in the development process. HUG was initially designed for one specific person, Thelma, and the prototype had a hugely positive affect on her wellbeing. She was more social, more alert and had fewer falls. This success led to further funding and research which have meant that HUG is now widely available. HUG has also been trialled with other groups of people, such as patients in hospital after a stroke. Researchers found that, while it isn’t suitable for everyone, HUG is a useful low-risk intervention that does not have the negative side effects that can be associated with medication. In a trial in a care home, 87% of participants who used a HUG over a six-month period showed an increase in their wellbeing.