Who are Sense Medical?
Sense Medical are a medical devices company based in Surrey with two divisions; Mental Health and Social Care; and Ophthalmology Equipment division for Imaging.
How has Sense Medical improved dementia care in the UK?
Sense Medical launches therapeutic robotic Paro seal Certified medical device to improve quality of life for patients with dementia, Alzheimer’s and complex cognitive disorders now available in the UK and Ireland.
Paro is a certified medical device, clinically proven to reduce agitation, improve socialisation, and lift mood, and encourages interactions between patients and care-givers. The interactive, lifelike seal pup is designed to provide psychological enrichment as a complement to non-pharmacological approaches in dementia care, palliative care and for children and adolescents with developmental disorders, and can help combat cognitive decline and depression among those who are socially isolated.
Now in its eighth generation, Paro has been enhancing patient engagement in care facilities in Japan and throughout Europe since 2005, and was introduced to the US in 2009 where it gained certification as a medical advice by the US Food & Drug Administration.
Today, hospitals and care homes in the UK and Republic of Ireland can bring the benefits of Paro’s compassionate companionship to their own care setting.
What has been your greatest achievement to date? And were there any measurable outcomes that accompanied this achievement?
Before the soft launch of Paro earlier in 2018, we extensively evaluated its effectiveness in various care settings and carried out a detailed study of the potential market. By 2021, over a million people in the UK will be living with dementia, with no cure currently in sight. The use of Paro is already endorsed by numerous organisations including the Alzheimer’s Society, the UK’s leading dementia charity, to support the delivery of person-centred care. But Paro’s therapeutic benefits can be applied to a broad spectrum of ages and conditions, including children and adolescents living with developmental disorders, mental health challenges or a terminal illness diagnosis. Paro’s potential is only limited by our imagination.”
Paro sits within Sense Medical’s newly-created Mental Health & Social Care division. Describing to the go-to-market strategy, Jahangir says: “Our initial focus will be on addressing the needs of residential and nursing care homes and hospitals, where the cost of Paro can be reimbursed by the Government, but Paro is also available to carers looking after loved ones at home. We have just launched a dedicated website – www.paroseal.co.uk - which not only provides a focal point of information but also enables enquiries and orders for Paro to be placed online. We would encourage care-givers to try Paro in their own care setting, to see the benefits first-hand.”
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