At St Philip’s Care, when a resident moves into one of our homes, we always liaise with the relatives to try to find out as much about the individual as we can, to ensure we make their transition into a home as smooth and as comfortable as possible – and so we can encourage conversations and activities which the resident will engage with.
This can include finding out about past careers, achievements, and also hobbies, which is how Janis, the wonderful Activities Co-Ordinator at Chestnuts Care Centre, discovered that three residents in particular, had enjoyed ice skating quite a lot when they were younger.
So, Janis decided to organise a trip and after contacting the local ice rink in Grimsby, Janis, along with colleagues Anna and Mercedes, both care assistants, took three residents, Valerie, Doreen, and Ann down to the venue where they were shown how they could safely take the residents onto the ice, in their wheelchairs.
After watching the ladies, and seeing the smiles on their faces, one member of the public spoke to Janis and explained that seeing the residents enjoying themselves so much, was amazing. She went on to say, “I am overwhelmed with what I am seeing, the care you are showing these ladies and how happy they all look, it has really made my day”.
The visit brought back some wonderful memories for all the ladies, especially Doreen Wilkins (pictured above) who owned a pair of skating boots when she was younger and used to skate quite often. She said she’d had a lovely day and couldn’t wait to do it again – and doesn’t the photo just prove that?