11.5.2024 Juanita
How to make the holiday memorable for residents
Christmas is right around the corner, and if you're a care provider, you might be contemplating how to make Christmas in your care home extra special this year.
During this time, it's crucial to create an atmosphere of warmth and nostalgia for residents who are unable to celebrate with their loved ones. Care staff must set aside time to embrace the magic of Christmas and Christmas traditions in the days leading up to December 25th, just as they would for their own families.
Christmas traditions, such as adorning the Christmas tree with twinkling lights and colourful decorations, baking batches of delicious cookies, exchanging thoughtful gifts, and indulging in mugs of homemade hot chocolate, all help to evoke nostalgic memories and a comforting sense of warmth among residents. These traditions also play a vital role in fostering a sense of connection and belonging within the community, helping to bring people together.
Christmas pomanders, cards and homemade decorations: brighten up your care home this Christmas
In 2021, the Office for National Statistics revealed that nearly three-quarters (74.0%) of residents in care homes were 80 years old or older. That means their Christmas growing up as children was between the 1950s and 60s when it was popular to make Christmas decorations, and presents were often handmade or homemade. This demographic insight highlights that their experiences of Christmas were shaped by distinct traditions characteristic of that era.
These practices fostered a sense of community and togetherness, creating cherished memories that likely influenced their perceptions of Christmas.
Blue Peter, renowned as the longest-running children's program in the world and possibly the most beloved, first aired on 16 October 1958.
Over the years, it has captivated audiences with engaging content, including popular tutorials that teach viewers how to create Christmas decorations at home. For many residents, the nostalgia of watching Blue Peter during childhood makes it a cherished part of their early years.
1966 Blue Peter: Valerie Singleton makes a Christmas tree, studded with decorations that you can eat.
Making the Christmas season special
In a similar spirit, our Wellness and Activities platform offers a diverse range of festive Christmas activities designed to bring joy and creativity to residents.
This Christmas, consider making their holiday experience truly memorable by inviting them to explore their crafting skills and create handmade decorations together.
Engaging in these activities not only fosters a sense of community but also provides a wonderful opportunity to reminisce and share stories from the past, making the Christmas season even more special.
Here are just a few Christmas activities on our Wellness and Activities platform that help bring everyone together, 1950s style!
Creative ideas for card-making
Our Wellness and Activities platform offers easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions on how to make bauble Christmas cards, ensuring participants of all abilities can join the fun.
Residents and care staff can let their festive imagination go wild by creating beautiful cards adorned with glitter, buttons, and sequins! This activity promotes togetherness and allows everyone to express their creativity.
Research shows creative activities can significantly benefit mental health, reduce stress, and promote overall wellbeing. By participating in this festive project, both residents and staff can experience the therapeutic effects of creativity while spreading holiday cheer.
Homemade Christmas decorations
Gather your materials and join us in creating enchanting Christmas decorations to brighten the holidays! Residents and care staff can dive into the holiday spirit with our platform's delightful crafting video, where you'll discover the art of making Christmas festive star twigs! Our engaging tutorial will guide you through the process, unlocking your creativity like never before!
These charming star twigs make wonderful gifts for loved ones or can be used to decorate the care home. Whether you hang them on the tree, in residents' rooms, or give them as thoughtful presents, these crafted stars will surely add a touch of magic to your celebrations.
Sensory activities that can engage and uplift the spirits of people
Have you ever created Christmas pomanders? These charming decorations, typically made from oranges studded with dried cloves, are a classic holiday craft that adds a festive touch to any space. They can be elegantly hung in windows with ribbons, displayed in a fruit bowl to fill the room with a delightful Christmas fragrance, or even used as ornaments on the Christmas tree.
This sensory activity, for which our Wellness and Activities platform offers step-by-step instructions, is suitable for residents of all abilities, allowing everyone to participate and engage in the festive fun.
It's such a relaxing, simple little craft that gathers everyone around the table for some quality time together. The best part is its beautiful aroma, which will spread throughout the care home, creating a festive scent that instantly evokes the spirit of Christmas!
Jam-packed with an exciting array of Christmas-themed activities for everyone to enjoy!
Our Wellness and Activities platform provides a wide range of engaging and creative Christmas-themed activities for all to enjoy.
In addition to various art and craft projects, we offer Christmas videos that capture the magic of the season, festive activity books filled with games, stories, and challenges designed to bring joy, a collection of delicious Christmas recipes that will help you create a wonderful winter feast in your care home, quizzes and puzzles that are sure to entertain and challenge everyone during the season and Christmas reminiscence activities that encourage sharing memories and stories.
To top it all off, you can listen to a selection of beloved Christmas songs that help to create a joyful atmosphere. There's truly something for everyone to enjoy throughout this festive season!
Share photos of your Christmas creations and cards via our resident experience tool
Our innovative, research-driven resident experience platform offers a range of features, such as virtual visits, video calls, and other digital communication tools.
The platform's capabilities allow carers to capture and share precious moments with family members, providing them with a window into their loved ones' daily lives within the care home. By providing this immersive experience, families can feel more connected and involved in their loved ones' lives, fostering a stronger sense of involvement and connection.
Let's say a resident wants to make a Christmas card next week; all the activity coordinator has to do is:
- Create a calendar event using the resident experience tool - "Help Dorothy create a Christmas card."
- The resident participates in the activity and creates the Christmas card.
- At the end of the activity, staff can use the platform to take a picture of the card and send it to the resident's family members, who will receive it via the platform's app.
- Staff can also share pictures of the card as a collage on their Digital Signage screens.
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And that's only a small part of our resident experience tool! This innovative platform also helps care providers gather feedback, which they can actively listen to and take action based on individuals' experiences of care. This is essential for ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led services.
The platform also plays a crucial role in helping care providers gain insight into residents' preferences and choices, helping to gather various data, such as quantitative insights on residents' activities and the types of services booked.
Discover the full potential of our resident experience tool - there's so much more to explore!
Book a consultation today to learn how it can benefit your care organisation!
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