Christmas can be a difficult time for residents, especially if it’s their first in a care home, but there are plenty of ways your home can get residents in the festive spirit…
Party time
Christmas parties can be overwhelming for anyone, but for sufferers of dementia, Alzheimer’s or mental health conditions, parties with a lot of noise and bright lights can be a nightmare. It can present difficulties when trying to arrange a Christmas party that gets your home in the festive spirit and appeals to fun-loving residents, without making things uncomfortable for others.
If you have the space, you could split residents into two rooms – one with more of a party vibe and another that is more relaxed – but if not, sticking to softer live music like carols or an acoustic band may be your best option.
Baking and cooking
It wouldn’t be Christmas without mince pies and gingerbread – and you can’t beat homemade. Festive baking is a great way to get residents involved in Christmas preparations, and can be a familiar, comforting activity that makes new residents feel at home: you could even ask for family or cultural recipes.
Simple tasks like cutting pre-prepared dough into shapes and assembling mince pies are easy enough for residents with different levels of ability, while cake and biscuit decoration is great for those with a creative flair.
With a satellite kitchen, it can be easier to get residents involved in Christmas kitchen activities like these. It provides a clean and safe place to prepare food, without causing chaos in your main catering kitchen.
Community spirit
Unfortunately, not every resident will be well enough to visit family, friends or their usual places of worship this Christmas. Some care homes have devised innovative ways to ensure that their residents feel part of their community at Christmas-time by using technology to video link to a nearby church service or skype relatives who are too far away to visit. Others have arranged for local schools or amateur dramatic groups to visit, put on a show, and share a mince pie with residents afterwards.
However your care home chooses to celebrate this year, it’s sure to put your kitchen to the test as your home caters for residents and visitors. If you think it could be time for an upgrade, contact Steelplan Kitchens on 0844 809 9186 to find out how our semi-commercial kitchens could be the best solution for your home.
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