Care homes as a sector has been significantly impacted by Covid-19, from residents falling ill, to being separated from their loved ones. The young people at Scouts UK want to help with this, they usually help care homes throughout the year and feel that the current crisis shouldn’t stop that from happening. Over the next few weeks, they want to ‘care for care homes’ and are working with the British red Cross and the National Care Association to do 10,000 acts of kindness. Their aim is to reduce loneliness and improve wellbeing of people in care homes.

These acts of kindness include crafts such as creating kindness rocks. This involves decorating and adding positive and kind messages to a stone or a pebble, then sending them care homes to boost morale. Scouts can also get in touch with care homes residents by writing letters or using video messaging to reduce isolation in care homes. Or they can take part in a ‘skill swap’, using letters, videos and photos to teach a care home resident a new skill.

Initiatives like these are really positive and uplifting to hear generally, but especially during these difficult times with the current Covid-19 crisis. Find out more about this initiative and how you can get involved: scouts.org.uk/careforcarehomes 

I would like to share with you what we have been doing at our home since we have been in lockdown.

Every week I have sent out a blog to give families a wee picture of their loved ones.  We have also been on Tik Tok with staff and residents to lift moral. Making the films and having a few moments of fun and laughter has been so good for everyone.  Each unit, even night shift have taken part.

We have set up gardens in lounges with residents  to enjoy – planting bulbs – scarecrows and beautiful items to make it special.  Residents have given everything names and they look after the plants daily.  

We have also set up an easter challenge – for the community to get involved and help the residents in isolation.  We asked if any one was fed up with the lock down and struggling with things to do – to make an Easter picture which was meaningful to them and then email it to me with picture of person who created the picture and we would open a Parksprings Art Gallery for all the wonderful creations. 

We got around 200 pictures from as far north as Orkney .  This boosted the residents in lock down knowing that they were not forgotten and the community / strangers took time to create and send to us.  It lifted everyone’s spirits staff, residents, and the people who participated.  Local news papers got involved, The deputy provost, councillors , MP, schools, families, Leonard Cheshire group, Lingo Flamingo, Tai Chi group, Local churches, local charity groups and many more. 

The art gallery is amazing and will remain until its opened and shared with all the groups who helped.  The pictures are displayed on the residents lounge TV’s and they all helped with the Gallery and the judging of the competition.  The winners were chosen by all the above groups and then the final judge was Tina Chapman – our director in Leeds- selected the winners.  The feed back from everyone was that it made people cry as it was something so nice in such a difficult time.  The residents and staff were also really emotional to all the wonderful items sent in and just the kindness was fantastic – and the isolation was not so bad.. The Easter challenge just took everyone’s minds off the difficult time for just a moment and spread in smile.

Boxing classes have been great fun and as the residents will tell you – here at Parksprings we are fighting the Covid-19 – great exercise and fun. We will beat this !!

We are so busy with so many different projects –  all with purpose and meaning which helps but it is still hard. 

The garden after winter is looking tired and grey even though we had a sing-a-long with instruments- the sun worked its magic on everyone.  If anyone has any garden items they would like to donate please contact me.

We have also enjoyed corridor party’s with the residents staying at the edge of there room doors and singing and dancing.  Everyone can join in and it’s at social distancing. 

Rosie Brennan

Lead Activities Co-ordinator

Parksprings Care Home

Although the coronavirus pandemic has majorly impacted the daily routine of Abbeyfield Irvine, we have adapted out activity programme to adhere to social distancing guidelines set out by the Scottish Government.

We have started a daily ‘window visit’ programme where relatives can use their daily exercise to come past Abbeyfield and have a short visit with their relative, through the front window. This has proved popular within the relative group and helps to keep our residents spirits up by seeing their family and friends, albeit it through a window! Where it is not feasible to have a window visit, we actively encourage video chats, phone calls and even good old fashioned letter writing!

Our activity programme has had to be adapted as our residents maintain social distancing, and this has included movie days, online church services, personalised boredom buster books and even a homemade version of Kerplunk! We have had a Piper come and play for us and also some young highland dancers to entertain us for the afternoon, all from our car park!

We are lucky to have 2 enclosed garden spaces, where residents have been able to enjoy the lovely weather that we have had, even if it is just for a cup of tea in the sunshine.

We celebrated Easter and the Queen’s Birthday in April, we commemorated the anniversary of VE Day in May and we have had several birthday celebrations of our own, celebrated more calmly than planned, but still with plenty of cake for everyone!

During this lockdown, like many others, we have come to realise that it is not always about the ‘big things’ in life. Something as simple as a post card from a daughter, a call from a son, a letter from a friend and even a rainbow drawing from a grandchild mean so much more.