Residents at Ferrars Hall Care Home in Huntingdon 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 Susan Dunnell, 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 Ferrars Hall Care Home enjoyed a German and Filipino themed day. Staff dressed up in traditional costumes and spent the day telling residents all about their home countries. They made traditional food and there was a colourful and inviting feast for everyone to share and sample dishes from the different countries.
“We spoke to all the residents about their holidays and how they would like to celebrate our staycation theme. We agreed that it would be a good opportunity to get to know our staff better and find out about their languages, culture and cuisine. We’ve got a Polish day planned next, which we are all looking forward to”. Said Wellbeing Coordinator Gordana Reed.
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 Ferrars Hall Care Home, contact Home Manager Susan Dunnell on 01480 456359 or email ferrarshall@countrycourtcare.com.
