Last month, many of our older people’s care homes across the UK got involved in Dementia Action Week.

Dementia Action Week (previously known as Dementia Awareness Week), takes place every year between 20^th and 26^th May, and encourages people, workplaces, schools and communities to take action and improve the lives of those with dementia. The planned activities also help those with dementia to be looked at differently, and show that those with the condition can still have fun and inspire others.

During the week, we put on a number of special events and activities for our residents to get involved in. Our residents thoroughly enjoyed the week, as did family, friends and neighbours within the local community.

A range of activities at our care homes during Dementia Action Week

Makeover and photoshoot at Berelands Adult Care Home

Residents at Berelands Care Home in Prestwick had fun at a makeover and photoshoot day with relatives in attendance. Registered Home Manager, Teresa Mangonon, said of the event: “With the input from our active residents’ committee, we decided to do something different and memorable for them and their loved ones. The outcome was amazing and so much fun.”

The team took some fantastic photos of residents in an array of fancy dress, from gangster to glamour-puss, and the swinging 60s to a slumber party.

Nature days at Charles Court

The residents at Charles Court Care Home in Hereford enjoyed a nature inspired day for Dementia Action Week. Jacqueline Garrard, Reminiscence Practitioner, carefully gathered cow parsley, red campion and wild garlic from her garden in Dorstone and created an interactive display for residents. Charles Court is surrounded by the beautiful rural county of Herefordshire and is an important aspect of life for our residents. The display gave residents the chance to reconnect with the evocative sensory experience of the Herefordshire landscape.

Clarissa Haley, Activities Coordinator at Charles Court, said: “It was a pleasure to see our residents’ enjoyment of handling and smelling the wild flowers and hearing the poignant stories they evoked.”

Staff awareness at The Willows Mountain Ash

During Dementia Action Week, the staff at The Willows Mountain Ash Care Home in Perthcelyn spent a day raising awareness of a number of the main characteristics of dementia, helping staff and families gain a better understanding of some of the difficulties that residents face on a daily basis, and what we take for granted in our daily lives.

For part of the day, the team could only express themselves non-verbally, to highlight the difficulties of communication for people with speech issues. They also wore headphones to empathise with those who have hearing issues, and wore painted glasses to better understand vision issues. They also tried to get around the home and community in a wheelchair to appreciate the mobility issues that residents have.

Garden days at Amberley House

Amberley House Care Home in Bentilee took residents on a walk out into the gardens and the community during Dementia Action Week, and planted forget-me-nots in the raised flower beds, a flower that has long been associated with dementia.

Decorating and entertainment at Parc Wern

In preparation for Dementia Action Week, the team at Parc Wern Care Home in Ammanford painted the dining room purple. During the week, there was plenty of entertainment, and children from the nursery, family and friends were all invited to join in. This included recruiting six of the best singers at Parc Wern to become the Parc Wern Dementia Choir.

1940s days at The Willows

The residents at The Willows in Chesterfield enjoyed a day of 40s fun, with an entertainer, raffle and tombola, all topped off with 1940s music during Dementia Action Week. The team also put on a photoshoot day, coffee morning and a baking day, which relatives, friends and the local community were all invited to.

Tea, coffee and cake

A number of our homes, including Jubilee Gardens in Castle Bromwich, The Beeches in Aberdare and St Mark’s Court in Waun Wen held afternoon tea and coffee mornings for their residents, as well as their families and local neighbours in the community.

Learn more about our older people’s care services

If you would like to find out more about the residential, nursing and dementia care services that we provide to older people, call our team on 0808 208 2147 or make an enquiry online.