Lifestyle
Life in a Caring Homes is viewed as a continuum of life – an opportunity to gain new experiences and learn new things – whilst maintaining your existing hobbies and interests.
At every Caring Home, there is a dedicated activities co-ordinator who is on hand to support residents in learning new hobbies and maintaining existing ones.
An activities programme is developed by the activities co-ordinators who work in conjunction with the clinical team in reviewing each individuals occupational interests and tailoring an activities programme that addresses them.
Our activities co-ordinators are also charged with “identifying a first”, which means trying to find things that none of the residents have ever done before so that they can be supported to engaging in new experiences. One of the common favourites has been 10 pin bowling which many residents have enjoyed for the first time, whilst living in a “Caring Home”
Many care home operators worry about facilitating outdoor activities / pursuits to residents, but at Caring Homes this is not the case, and with this in mind, we are embarking on a new era with new care home developments gardens being a large focus from a design perspective.
New care home developments by Caring Homes pay very special attention to ensuring that gardens do not merely represent an attractive feature of the care home, but also facilitate a wide range of activities to encourage and entice people to engage.
Some may incorporate a sensory garden, others may incorporate themed rummage boxes, garden games, raised flower beds, secret gardens, allotments, through to small holdings, what is incorporated depends very much on the needs identified by the geographical make up of the local populous for example a care home developed in a rural idyll, is likely to incorporate features centred around providing activities for people used to country living, whereas for town development they are more likely to incorporate appropriate ideas to support people who lived in an urban area.
Regardless of a care homes location we also aim to facilitate additional indoor and outdoor pursuits based on the occupational needs of each individual in our care.
Our aim is to provide purpose, if we can support an individual to maintaining their purpose through being actively involved in their community, through pursuing their past and present interests, or engaging in indoor and outdoor activities, we have already gone along way to ensure the welfare of each resident.
Residents who have purpose and a positive outlook on life, tend to want to engage more and more which supports their general well-being, emotional, cognitive and occupational needs and ultimately their quality of life. It is a common sense approach, but one that is regrettably overlooked by so many care providers.
When you are looking for a Care Home, please do explore they type of activities that are offered and encouraged – ensure a “not only bingo” policy is in place, and that will help to ensure that you or your loved one chooses a home in which they can find stimulation, enjoyment and a good quality of life.
