The Happiness Programme, it’s good to share a smile

Bringing more joy, connection and engagement to care

A tune on the piano. Autumn leaves to sweep across the kitchen table. A favourite family photo appearing right in front of you. The Happiness Programme brings moments like these into the homes of the people we support across St Albans and Hertsmere.

It’s an interactive projector that our Care Professionals use as part of everyday care. Sensory, memory and movement-based activities are projected onto a table, the floor or even a bedsheet, so everyone can join in, whatever their mobility.

Like all our care, it’s shaped around the person. We’ll choose activities that suit your loved one’s interests, mood and abilities, and build them into their care plan.

Think the Happiness Programme could bring a little more joy to your loved one’s day? Get in touch today for a friendly, no-obligation chat.

What is the Happiness Programme?

The Happiness Programme is a portable, interactive projection system, designed and supported in the UK. It projects activities onto almost any flat surface and responds to touch and movement, so your loved one can reach out, tap, sweep and play.

There are over 100 activities to choose from, with seasonal and cultural updates through the year. Some are calming, like watching clouds drift across a summer sky. Others are playful, sociable or a little competitive. Activities can also be personalised with family photos and familiar images, which makes them especially good for reminiscence.

Our Care Professionals can add real-world props to make sessions even more immersive. Fresh flowers for a virtual gardening session, a paintbrush for an art activity, or something to hold and touch.

What activities are included?

There’s something for every mood and ability. A few favourites include:

• Clouds: a calm, mindful moment watching clouds drift by

• Autumn Leaves: sweeping away colourful leaves to find the acorns hiding underneath

• Sweet Shop: grabbing as many sweets as you can before the timer runs out

• Finish That Phrase: finding the missing words in over 50 well-known sayings

• Quiz: a general knowledge challenge to enjoy alone or together

• Piano Practice: playing the keys to make music together

• Family photos: reminiscing over personal pictures of the people and places that matter most

Who is the Happiness Programme for?

Anyone receiving care at home can enjoy it. It can be especially valuable for:

• People living with dementia or Alzheimer’s, where familiar images and gentle activity can spark recognition and conversation

• People with limited mobility, as activities can be enjoyed sitting at a table

• People who are cared for in bed, as activities can be projected straight onto a bedsheet

• People receiving palliative care, for calm and comforting sensory moments

• Anyone who would simply enjoy a little more fun and connection in their day

It’s a lovely way for family to join in too. Grandchildren, partners and friends can play alongside your loved one when they visit.

What difference can it make?

Evidence gathered from the Happiness Programme shows real benefits for the people taking part:

• 94%  positive sensory experiences
• 89%  increase in social interaction
• 86%  increase in happiness and confidence
• 79%  reduction in anxiety and distress

For families, that can mean a calmer, more settled loved one and more good moments to share. And for our Care Professionals, it’s another way to get to know the person they support, beyond the tasks on a care plan.

How to arrange the Happiness Programme

It starts with a friendly chat with our local team in St Albans. We’ll get to know your loved one, their interests and their routines, and talk through how the Happiness Programme could fit into their care.

From there, our Care Professionals can build sessions into regular visits, choosing activities to suit your loved one on the day. Some days that might be a lively quiz. Other days, a quiet moment watching the clouds go by.

If you already receive care from us, the Happiness Programme is included in your visits, and it’s a particularly lovely addition to live-in care. Not with us yet? You can still arrange Happiness Programme sessions for your loved one.

Getting in touch

If you’d like to see the Happiness Programme in action, or find out whether it’s right for your loved one, call us on 01727 261 000 or email stalbans@bluebirdcare.co.uk. We’d love to show you what it can do.