We pride ourselves on building person-centred care that celebrates what living Life in Colour means. However, we know Life in Colour means something different for every resident. For some, it means getting involved in trips or building new friendships with staff and residents, for others, it means relaxing and enjoying quality time alone, on their own terms.
In this post, we’ll be sharing insights into what life at a Borough Care home looks like for residents that enjoy time alone, how we accommodate their needs, and what a day in the life of a more introverted resident looks like.
Activities to suit every resident
At Borough Care, living a full life means experiencing high-quality care delivered by our team and an exciting programme of events every day. But what about activities for residents who enjoy time alone or relaxing activities? Whilst our activities programmes are fun and exciting, they are by no means compulsory for our residents. If you’re concerned about your loved one being pushed out of their comfort zone and into activities that aren’t for them, don’t worry. We’re here to show you there are plenty of solo and group activities to get involved in that are relaxing and calming.
Arts and crafts sessions
One of the most common activities we host at our homes is arts and crafts sessions. These sessions are a great opportunity for residents to embrace their creativity in a relaxed environment. Residents can also choose how involved they want to be in the sessions. For example, if they want to use the session to meet other residents, they can. If they’d prefer to paint or draw alone, there’s no pressure to work with other residents. We find that for residents living with dementia, having a creative outlet is beneficial in stimulating their minds and improving their thinking.
Film screenings in our cinema room
Our Staffordshire care homes, Hen Cloud House and Shoemaker Place, are each fitted with on-site cinema rooms, perfect for residents who love to relax and enjoy the latest film releases in comfort. We love hosting film screening afternoons across our homes, complete with lots of sweet treats. But, for residents who prefer to enjoy their favourite films in their own company, we’re always happy to host special solo screenings just for them.
Outdoor activities
Whilst hobbies like arts, crafts and films are fantastic for getting some much-needed relaxing time, we also have plenty of active hobbies for residents to get involved with, both with other residents and by themselves. Our care homes are each surrounded by outdoor green spaces, which our residents are welcome to use to do a spot of gardening. Gardening is a fantastic hobby that encourages light physical activity and mindfulness whilst reducing worries and stresses for our residents.
How Borough Care supports independent and reserved residents
Every resident is unique, and so is the care and support they need to live Life in Colour. We always accommodate our residents, ensuring they feel comfortable and supported in our homes. Here are a few ways we go above and beyond to support more reserved and independent residents.
Designing individual spaces that reflect your personality
We always ensure that our residents have everything they need to create a living environment that reflects who they are and what makes them feel most comfortable. For residents that feel most themselves when spending time alone, it’s essential that their spaces create a sense of comfort. To achieve this, we ensure that our residents have personal touches in their rooms, including everything from books to photos of family and friends, to their favourite snacks.
Creating schedules to follow each day
Schedules are a brilliant way to understand what our residents’ perfect day at our homes looks like and help us understand how we can deliver the high-quality care they need every day. Not only that, but creating schedules also enables us to know when residents prefer alone time, e.g. for quiet activities such as reading, and when they’d prefer not to be interrupted by our team. It’s important to respect boundaries – setting times when residents want to be alone is a great way to do this. We also find that it helps anxious residents as they know when to expect visits from staff each day.
Encouraging family visits
We always encourage family visits at Borough Care and regularly host events across our homes where family and friends can join the fun. For more reserved residents, visits from family and friends can be especially important, particularly if residents have anxieties about meeting new people. Having visits from familiar faces makes all the difference to our residents, helping them find more comfort and confidence to be their true selves in our welcoming homes.
Having one-to-one conversations with staff
For some residents, it may simply take time to feel comfortable getting involved in activities, conversations and events within the care homes. Whilst not every resident will want to join in with activities and events, many residents find comfort in getting involved in one-to-one conversations with staff members. This helps them to open up, build meaningful relationships and live full lives in our homes.
A day in the life of a more reserved Borough Care resident
What does a typical day in the life of a resident at Borough Care who values their time alone look like? 76-year-old Mary’s ideal Life in Colour at Borough Care includes plenty of time to enjoy her favourite hobbies and relax in the comfort of her room. Mary’s day starts with her usual 7:15 am wake-up from our Care Assistants, who’ll bring her her favourite newspaper to read in bed, along with a cup of tea. Mary loves a slow morning routine where she can relax and get ready for the day ahead in her own time. Her morning tea is just what she needs to really feel like herself each morning.
After her tea, it’s time for breakfast which Mary will enjoy in the comfort of her room. Sometimes she’ll head downstairs to join the rest of the residents for their breakfast, but occasionally, she needs extra time to herself. When she chooses to eat in her room, our Care Assistants get everything ready for her and bring her breakfast in bed.
Post-breakfast, Mary has a mid-morning check-in with one of her favourite Activities and Lifestyle Facilitators (ALFs) about her plans for the day. The team are putting on an arts and crafts session in the afternoon, which, as a keen creative, Mary is looking forward to getting involved with. There’s also a birthday party planned for the evening for a fellow resident, which Mary isn’t 100% sure she’ll feel up to attending, but will let the ALFs know.
For the rest of the day, Mary spends her time working on her favourite hobbies; reading, enjoying the calming effects of the gardens and relaxing in the lounge, before winding down in the evening.
Read more stories from our residents
Interested in seeing how some of our other care home residents live Life in Colour at Borough Care? Read our article about a day in the life of four of our residents: Marian, Rupert, Betsy and Arthur. To stay up to date with the latest activities, events and precious moments from our homes, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
