Friday 23 December 2011

You have Snoezelen in your garden and you may not know it

"Snoezelen means taking care of your soul, while basic stimulation takes care of your body, but it is very simplified formulation," says Renata Filatová, designer and producer of Snoezelen rooms. "Whenever I read in the Internet, that Snoezelen means sniffing out and dozing, it makes my blood boil! It is important to understand that we are talking about much deeper concept, about an environment, which multiplies any kind of therapy."

How did you find out about Snoezelen?

I am producing assistive devices for basic stimulation since 1999 and thanks to that I got to visit many organisations: intensive care departments, children centres, kindergartens and elementary schools for children with special needs, hospitals, rest-homes for seniors or departments of long-term care and aftercare. I produced many specific assistive devices without the possibility to influence the whole design of a room. Snoezelen brings conceptual solutions of the space so clients perceive it as being a harmonised unit in every single detail. Few years ago I was happy to meet Dr. Hana Stachova, and we produced our first Snoezelen room Cloverleaf Ostrava Center (Čtyřlístek – USP Ostrava-Muglinov)

What is the situation of Snoezelen in Czech Republic now?

The Association of the Snoezelen Concept of the Czech Republic was launched in Ostrava this year. We published the first book in Czech language in this field, we organize seminars, conferences, and we build new Snoezelen rooms of course, not only here, but in Poland, Slovakia or Saudi Arabia as well. We became member of International Snoezelen Association (ISNA), so that we can certificate the participants of our trainings to produce rooms and act as professional therapist.

Snoezelen is not very wide spread in Romania, mother country of the Tottoro Association. Are you interested in cooperation?

Any kind of cooperation is welcome, not only for transferring our know-how but to build and learn from others. I deeply believe that we can learn from our Romanian colleagues too. Many of the devices used in Snoezelen rooms are only substitutes of nature. You may have Snoezelen in your garden at your cottage and not to see it. You are sitting on your terrace, drinking coffee and reading newspapers, you have a wind-bell from bamboo wood hanged on the tree in front of you. You experience the deepest possible relaxation and you might even not know it comes from the bell.

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