Holbeach Meadows care home to create vintage stations to help dementia patients
A floor at a care home will be transformed with vintage items to help residents living with dementia connect with their past.
Holbeach Meadows is taking a step back in time by gradually replacing modern decoration with memorabilia from the 1950s and forming a new group called Carer’s Corner, which starts on Thursday, March 20.
The Sunrise Meadow unit will become an interactive environment with themed stations to link residents with their memories - and 1950s and 1960s donations are welcomed.
Manager Gemma Woodcock said: “Dementia can take people back to a time in their lives where they were busy with work, raising a young family or running a household.
“For people living with dementia these are still important parts of their lives, as is the need to be busy and feel useful.
“We aim to give people living with dementia the opportunity to live in an interactive environment that encourages their independence and occupation and allows them to carry on with their routines of the past.”
Stations will include vintage furniture and items that residents can look at, hold, use and reminisce with.
One theme will be based around babies with a vintage pram and crib for dementia dolls.
It will feature a washing line of baby clothes, frames with old photographs and baby clothes knitting patterns.
Another station will have a 1950s kitchen cabinet filled with crockery tins and kitchenware from the era.
Future areas will be designed to use for cleaning, clerical, DIY with themes around garages and farming to encourage residents to carry on with routines from the past.
There will also be a rummage room full of vintage items that can be explored along with a calming sensory room.
Training will be given to team members to encourage understanding and empathy with what residents go through on a daily basis.
Carer’s Corner starts at 3pm and takes place every third Thursday of the month.
If you are interested in making a donation or booking a place at Carer’s Corner contact Holbeach Meadows on 01406 431222 or HM.frontofhouse@twhealthcare.co.uk.
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