Team members at Excelcare’s Brook House Care Home encourage the people that live there to take as many opportunities as they can. From daily opportunities like participation in activities to larger events like schemes and clubs, each provides benefits to their health and wellbeing.
Team members practiced what they preached this week and took the light snowfall in Cambridge to engage the residents at Brook House. Pearl, the Lifestyle and Wellbeing Lead, said with the rising sea levels and global temperatures it could be the only snow they see all year and encouraged the residents to head outside. Talk of the snowfall soon spread around the care home and with support from Pearl, a few people went to get hands-on.
Sheila, a resident, was really excited when saw the snow and quickly put on her thick fur coat. When outside, Sheila said their large fir tree, which had a covering of snow, reminded her of Christmas. She wanted to make a snow angel to match, but because there was only a small amount settled they wrote their names in it instead.
As they headed back inside, the pair spoke about the memories the snow brought back. They both recalled having large amounts of snow every year in the wintertime and also how little we get now. It would only come at Christmas time though, so Sheila had many happy, festive memories from snow days with her friends and family.
Although a short activity, encouraging the residents to engage with reactive events like this can bring forward many happy moments from their lives that may have otherwise been forgotten.