Residents at Beech Lodge Care Home in Holbeach have been enjoying a month-long Staycation during July. Residents have had the opportunity to get involved with travel-based activities, reminiscing and international-themed days complete with special celebration menus.
“We want to bring a holiday feel to our care home.” Explained Karen Atillo, Home Manager. “Few of us will be jetting off anywhere exotic this year, so we thought we’d bring some holiday vibes to our home.”
Families of residents were asked to get involved by sending in photos of their loved one’s favourite holiday destinations in the UK or abroad. Staff and residents enjoyed reminiscing about their favourite holiday memories and travels to a variety of locations. They enjoyed lots of fond memories of seaside holidays, road trips, caravanning, walking and cycling. Some people never owned a passport, but others travelled the world, everyone had some wonderful stories to share.
Residents at Beech Lodge Care & Nursing Home have tried a variety of food from around the world as part of their staycation. A favourite with the Caribbean themed menu with jerk chicken, rice and peas, spicing kebabs and a stunning fruit platter. Everyone enjoyed trying the new flavours and chatting about the best and worst foods they had tried whilst on holiday. They have also been making a staycation display and had a French-themed day with French wine and cheese followed by traditional crepes.
“This month we’ve been spending time reminiscing and talking about holidays. A common response was that vacations were a big luxury when our residents were children and lots of families just couldn't afford them. A day trip by car to the seaside was a massive adventure and they loved the British coast.” Explained Wellbeing Coordinator Jodie Clayton.
“We shared memories of UK towns we had visited. Our residents remembered taking donkey rides along the beach, crabbing off the pier and playing on the penny arcades. We also discussed some of the amazing places our residents have travelled to during their adult lives. Places such as Canada, Iceland, Indonesia, Australia, America, Spain, South Africa, the list went on and on! We finished off our Staycation display with lots of pictures we chose from the Internet to mark places we loved around the world”.
The Staycation month has been a great talking point for residents and staff with reminiscing proven to be beneficial, especially for residents living with dementia. Talking about people’s life experiences helps build connections between residents and staff and is a great way for people to enjoy shared experiences. The initiative has sparked lots of great memories from looking at old photos together, whether with staff or during family visits to the care home. It has been a great way to get everyone involved in each person’s individual life history and get to know them better.
For more information about life at Beech Lodge Care & Nursing Home, contact Home Karen Atillo on 01406 423396 or email beechlodge@countrycourtcare.com.
