Welcome to PartnerPac

Hello, and welcome to PartnerPac. My name is Hilary Wainer and together with residents and loved ones, carers and family members, we have created PartnerPac – a sensory communication resource using Touch and Music. PartnerPac has grown out of TACPAC, which is now well established in educational settings. Members of our TACPAC community, who saw the benefits sensory communication, asked us to create a resource for their loved ones living with dementia.

We have run pilot studies in various care homes, and I wish to thank in particular those care homes in Oxfordshire who helped us so much with their comments and suggestions while this resource was being created. In particular I’d like to mention  The Vale House Care home and Lincroft Meadow Care home, who have helped form this resource.

Good luck!

Hilary Wainer TACPAC founder

It is well known that Music is a language understood by everyone, without the need to understand vocabulary or grammar. It is well known that Touch is a language understood by everyone, without the need for analysis or cognition. Both these sensory languages are used by our two partners in PartnerPac to facilitate relaxation, sensitivity, a sense of belonging, a sense of purpose. The half hour PartnerPac session aims to result in both partners exchanging ideas, wishes, respect and choices resulting in a satisfying and meaningful connection.

Kindness, care and compassion reminds us all that we’re not alone. How do we reach out to those who cant connect, who might feel lonely and confused? If we offer words, they might not be understood, but if we give of our presence, this might be felt, sensed and make a difference to our receiver. To help, we can offer to communicate in a common sensory language which has not, may not ever, be forgotten. When we share a music space, and / or a touch space, we are not alone. We are born with an innate understanding of these sensory languages, and we can use them with kindness, care and compassion. We can remember we are all human beings, we all long for connection. We do not have to use words to connect – we are born with touch and music, and we find each other this way. We share a few moments or more of meaningful connection.  

The languages of Music and Touch have strict structures, as in all languages. The exact matching of these structures gives our receivers one clear sensory message. Your skill is in the alignment of these two language structures.

To view this page before your first session

This presentation was created for PartnerPac by Zaiba Patel, a doctoral student at the University of Oxford.