Residents at The Laurels Care Home in Draycott near Cheddar have been enjoying a month-long Staycation during July. Residents have had the opportunity to get involved with travel-based activities, reminiscing and themed days complete with special celebration menus.
“We want to bring a holiday feel to our care home.” Explained Becky Green, 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. We spoke to all the residents about their holidays and how they would like to celebrate our staycation theme. Lots of people grew up in Somerset and have missed being able to visit our beautiful local area during the lockdown. We decided to celebrate the best of our county with lots of different locally themed activities during our staycation.”
Residents at The Laurels Care Home chose to go on a sightseeing trip to Cheddar Gorge followed by their very own cider festival. The cider was courtesy of Thatchers who generously provided cider made at Myrtle Farm not far from the care home. Staff and residents had a wonderful time enjoying the summer sunshine and cooling off with water games. Residents had a beautiful cheese and wine platter to enjoy thanks to The Cheddar Cheese Company, who provided them with delicious locally produced cheese to sample.
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.
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 The Laurels Care Home, contact Home Manager Becky Green on 01934 742649 or email thelaurels@countrycourtcare.com.
