In the Pink and Purple!
Singing, chatter and giggles are always found in our care homes, especially when our Well-being Teams are involved. Dressed in their iconic bright pink or purple uniforms, our enthusiastic Well-being and Activity Co-ordinators (W&As) do an incredible job of ensuring our residents’ happiness. We caught up with some of our dedicated W&As to find out more about what they do.
Back to School
W&A Anne Bentley, affectionally known as one of the ‘Pink Ladies’ at Cliftonville Care Home in Northampton, loves her job just as much today as when she joined five years ago. “Sometimes the residents get quite animated in carpet bowls as they compete for the trophy! It’s such a laugh” said Anne.
Each September, Anne runs a ‘Back to School’ event for residents. With a school quiz and detentions being handed out to naughty pupils (residents and staff included), it’s a creative spin on a memory that everyone remembers. Anne stated: “I just know that I’ve had a really good day if I can make a resident smile or share a positive moment with them.”
A Seaside Assembly
Our W&As organise regular meetups to share resources, best practices and collaborate on new ideas. W&As Emily Soper and Angelica Lundekesi at Silvermere Care Home in Surrey teamed up with Sophie Curtis at Miramar Care Home in Herne Bay, who had recently helped organise for five Miramar residents to go on a helicopter ride. Between them, they arranged for seven Silvermere residents to enjoy a two-day visit to the seaside and pier, plus a canapés and cocktails evening.
“Our residents can’t stop talking about it; they enjoyed it so much. It makes it all worthwhile,” said Emily. She continued: “I come into work and know I can make a difference to our residents. My favourite activity is reminiscence on our memory floor, where we do one-to-one activities. It’s so rewarding to see our residents’ expressions. It’s a very powerful moment to share with someone.”
Care Home Clubbing
Residents at Alder House Care Home recently hit the dancefloor at Pryzm Nightclub with help from BBC Radio Nottingham and our W&As Sarah Donoghue and Linda Harrison. With some residents in their 90s, they certainly proved that they could show everyone a thing or two about having fun!
The event had huge media exposure, with over half a million people seeing the Facebook posts. Sarah summarised: “Activities can make a huge difference in the quality of life for residents. It’s important to remember that they love to go out and dance too!”
Claire Harne, Regional W&A for Avery, added: “To deliver amazing, innovative and exciting opportunities for residents, we have to know the people in our care. Dancing at the nightclub was a great example of providing residents with a meaningful experience. They reflected on past and memorable occasions, promoting self-identity and self-expression.”
Activities in care homes have certainly changed. Avery now designs and delivers person-centred programmes to ensure we support our residents’ physical, psychological and social well-being in all our homes. We certainly couldn’t do it without our fantastic W&As!
Article by Helen Bates, Marketing Executive, for Welcome Home Issue 11.
