Protac KneedMe
Portable

40-year old man, traumatic brain injury from a motorcycle crash.

Sits in an electrical wheelchair and cannot actively move his body with the exception of blinking his eyes.

A sense-stimulating aid: Protac KneedMe  

Observed effect: The man uses the knee blanket when using his wheelchair, as he would otherwise tighten up very badly in his lower extremities (legs). His muscle spasms were once so intense that he got cramps in his lower extremities (legs). When using the knee blanket, he is able to notice himself when using his wheelchair, which makes him less anxious and makes his muscles less tense. The man has also started using the Protac Ball Blanket^® at night and during midday rests. The results have been that he is easier to mobilise, dress and subsequently move.

62-year old woman with Alzheimer's and dementia.

She has severe physical, mental and cognitive impairment and depression. The woman is very bothered by her physical and mental unrest. She finds it increasingly difficult to handle a lot of sensory stimulation and easily becomes over-stimulated. This can be seen through her intense physical movements and loud, angry voice. The woman now stays mostly in her own room because she needs to have a barrier.

A sense-stimulating aid: Protac KneedMe

Observed effect: The woman has a hard time accepting being handled and turned in her bed as part of her personal care. This is why she is given the Protac KneedMe right after her morning care. She has the option of staying in beg with the knee blanket on or going over to an armchair where she can also have the knee blanket on. She starts to feel secure and calm.

If she is restless in the early morning, she is given the knee blanket and her morning care is put on hold until she is calm and more comfortable.

The woman has a Huntington's disease chair which she uses daily with her knee blanket. She is often smiling, relaxed and at ease. When someone enters her room, she often turns her head and greets them with a smile or a soft sound and attentive "speaking". Meals go better than before when she has the knee blanket on.

Woman in her mid-seventies with Lewy Body dementia. 

She is a wheelchair user and needs help and support for all of her daily activities. She has Parkinsonian movement disorders, fluctuating attention and sometimes hallucinates. When mentally restless, she can become boisterous and make a constant monotonous noise.

A sense-stimulating aid: Protac KneedMe

Observed effect: The woman has used the Protac KneedMe for several months. The aim was to enable her to spend time with others and participate in musical activities. Right from the start it was clear that the knee blanket had a positive effect. She became more attentive when in contact with others, focused on music and the monotonous noise she made was replaced with occasional humming along with a song. 
The knee blanket is now used in several ways, both for preventive purposes and to promote calmness. The effect has been generally less physical and mental unrest. It boosts the user's well-being. Her facial expressions have relaxed, she makes fewer self-stimulating noises and sometimes she makes eye contact, smiles and "speaks" a few words. 

Woman in her mid-eighties, diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

The woman tends to exhibit verbal self-stimulatory behaviour and has strong perseveration with the noises she makes. She is almost insistently singing and loud in her conversations with herself.

A sense-stimulating aid: Protac KneedMe

Observed effect: The woman was given the Protac KneedMe right after her morning care in order to prevent the escalation of her noises/self-stimulatory behaviour. Right when she first tried the knee blanket it was already clear that it made her calm; her vocal pitch is lower and she gives more relevant answers when spoken to. After using the knee blanket, her facial expressions are gentler than usual. Now the woman sits with the knee blanket every day and usually several times throughout the day.