A Day in the Life of an Older Adult with Sensory Processing and Integration Differences

Meet Mike!

Meet Mike, an 85-year-old man who experiences differences in sensory processing and integration. He recently moved into a care home after several falls at home raised concerns about his safety and ability to live independently. For much of his life, Mike was passionate about adventure sports, and he often reminisces about the thrill of skiing down a slope or racing along on his bike. Now, with reduced mobility, he uses a wheelchair for longer distances and outings into the community.

To understand how sensory processing and integration differences can affect older adults in everyday life, let’s take a look at a typical day in Mike’s life.

You can also download this story as a PDF:

A Day in the Life of an Older Adult with Sensory Processing and Integration Differences - Mike.pdf

It is time to get ready for the day and have a shower. Mike is waiting for a shower chair as he no longer feels comfortable standing up in the shower, even with rails to hold on to. He finds that he loses his balance when he lets go of the support rails. Yesterday, he also scalded himself as he didn’t realise how hot the water was when he turned it on, so a healthcare assistant offered to set the shower to the correct heating setting for him.

Sensory Integration Differences: Sensory under responsivity: tactile, difficulty with vestibular processing (balance)

Mike attends an exercise group organised by a physiotherapist and occupational therapist. Wheelchair dancing has recently been added to the programme, and it is the highlight of his week. It gives him the opportunity to spin around and move fast, which he enjoys and doesn’t get the opportunity to do very often.

Sensory Integration Differences: Sensory under responsivity: vestibular (movement seeking)

Mike is getting ready for lunch in the communal dining room. He hopes that today’s lunch will be less bland. He has found that as he has gotten older, his ability to taste different flavours has declined, making eating less enjoyable. His doctor has advised that he needs to increase his calorie intake, and a dietician has been advising the catering team on cooking food with more intense flavours, but this has not always been implemented.

Sensory Integration Differences: Sensory under responsivity: gustatory

The care home has organised a woodwork workshop for residents. Mike is excited to attend, as he used to make wooden furniture as a hobby when he was younger. However, his grip strength is no longer what it used to be, and he has to pay attention to what he does, as his ability to discriminate by touch has decreased.

Sensory Integration Differences: Difficulties with tactile discrimination

Mike is getting ready to go to bed. He has been suffering from insomnia for a few weeks now. His daughter bought him a weighted blanket that she read might help. He is looking forward to trying it and seeing if it makes a difference.

Sensory Integration Differences: Difficulties with regulation and arousal


Sensory processing and integration differences can include:

  • Experiencing sounds, textures, flavours, smells or other sensory input more or less than others
  • Having difficulty carrying out new activities
  • Having difficulty with bumping into things and knowing where your body is in space
  • Seeking or avoiding certain types of movement
  • Having difficulty with emotional regulation
  • Having difficulty making sense of internal signals from your body like hunger or thirst

In Summary

Many older adults also present with sensory processing and integration differences that can impact all aspects of their daily life. As an individual ages, their threshold to sensory information changes and they need more stimulation to be aware of their senses. Sleeping at night might also become more difficult as sleep patterns and deep sleep change with age.

Free Resources and Courses

View more products