HUG™ is a soft comforting object designed to be cuddled. It has a beating heart and plays music. HUG™ was developed for people living with advanced dementia from LAUGH research (Ludic Artefacts Using Gesture and Haptics), using Compassionate Design methodology to guide the design process. The research took place at Cardiff Metropolitan University in Wales and was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, UK.
HUG™ has been evaluated with people living with dementia as part of Welsh Government funded LAUGH EMPOWERED research. The study, which took place in a residential care home over 6 months, found that HUG™ can make a significant improvement to the wellbeing of people living with dementia by reducing anxiety, improving posture and stimulating communication. It has also been found to improve cognitive and functional ability in some people living with dementia who have used HUG™ for 6 months (Treadaway, Pool and Johnson 2020).
For more information about HUG™ take a look at HUG by LAUGH™
HUG by LAUGH™ is partnered by Alzheimers Society UK