At Birchams Grange Private Care Home in Eastnor, we understand the importance of meaningful activities in supporting the wellbeing of people living with dementia. Our experienced care team takes a person-centred approach, focusing on each resident’s individual interests, preferences and experiences to create opportunities for connection, enjoyment and communication.
Here, we share some of the ways meaningful activities can make a difference, along with ideas that families and friends can try with their loved ones.
We all have preferences regarding meaningful activity, and people with dementia are no different. Pinpointing the right meaningful, therapeutic activities for each individual removes worries, reduces anxiety and can help them to talk about their feelings.
We focus on the person and how they feel that day and what they want to share; devising activities based on this, rather than forcing a predetermined activity on them, usually results in a far more meaningful session.
For example, we might look at a set of old photos which includes family celebratory meals. This can lead to conversations about recipes and cooking, and a resultant activity might be cooking, searching for herbs in the garden or drawing still life. The key is that the conversation has provided the portal to the activity, and the activity is then a catalyst for more communication.
We have focused a lot on spring bulbs, specifically snowdrops and the challenges and adversity they face. We picked snowdrops and painted them, then wrote down our own greatest challenges. The answers our residents came up with were astonishing and interesting in equal measure and helped us all to learn a bit more about ourselves and others. This activity could also be applied to bluebells, daffodils and tulips, amongst others!
As I’ve highlighted, we deliberately don’t plan some of our time, but of course we also love to listen to the live music acts who visit- rock, folk or classical, walk over to Eastnor Castle, and watch the cricket at the club next door. We also love to have the children from Eastnor Primary over for intergenerational learning and games…. And of course, the more time we can spend outside in the fresh air, the better!
I have worked in care for so many years. Birchams Grange is an independent care home where the staff, management, and everyone associated with it have unwavering levels of compassion and support. I wanted to find a care home near me where I could invest lots of time into the progress of the residents, and every time I come to work, I have a smile on my face!
For more information, contact Jane, the home manager, on 01531 632925 or jane@haswellhealthcare.com.