With the prolonged period of dry and sunny weather, we've really been making the most of our garden. Everything from craft activities to snack times and even manicures have been moved outside. Crafts this week have included painting positivity pebbles to distribute around the garden and we've also got our summer display board up, showcasing everything our residents have created over the past few weeks.
We're lucky to have such a lovely outside space and being in the garden really helps lift everyone's spirits. The calming effect of being out in nature is something which shouldn't be underestimated. Sometimes when new residents join us they can feel disorientated, distressed or tearful. Taking them out into the garden is a technique which can really help with the transition and is something we aim to do whenever possible. It's been really heartening to see visitors also choosing more and more often to spend time with their relatives in the garden - some coming every day for an al fresco coffee and a chat.
Fresh Fruit
Staff members received another delivery of fresh fruit from the team at Support Social Care Heroes this week, which was soon being whipped up into a series of delicious smoothies. Residents were keen to try them out too and they went down a treat - so much so that we're going to be buying another smoothie maker especially for residents in the next week or so. Smoothies are a great way to increase hydration and boost nutrition, particularly in the heat when appetites can be smaller than usual.