We are thrilled to announce the winners of our ‘Activities for All’ competition, which rewarded some of your more ingenious and thoughtful ways to overcome barriers to participating in activities.
Whether it be shyness, a lack of energy, loneliness, uncertainty or the limitations that dementia can sometimes pose, you have shown us all the myriad ways that you have ensured all your residents can benefit from your programme of activities. The standard of entries was amazing, but after much deliberation we have decided to award the three £25 prizes to Laura Baumane (Aston House Care Home, Hayes), Rachel Davenport (Sychbury Residential Home, Stourbridge) and Louise Marsh (The Red House, Yelverton).
Laura Baumane’s winning entry detailed the breadth of her approach, and she well made the point that when trying to encourage people to take part, it is just as important to remind yourself that it is someone’s individual choice whether or not to engage in activities. We were also impressed by Rachel’s range of approaches to different individuals and her advice that smaller groups and one-to-ones can often work best. Louise’s entry focused on the need to adapt, adapt, adapt! As she said, “We will never please everybody all of the time, but we can do our best for those in our care by acknowledging their differences and gently encouraging participation – even if it’s not quite what we had in mind when we started!”
There were also three other homes that we felt deserved recognition for their entries. Dawn McCormack (Cooper House, Bradford), Lesley Anne Brown (Highcliffe Care Home, Sunderland) and Lynda Spellacy (Silverpoint Court Residential Care Centre, Canvey Island). They each receive a Highly Commended certificate and a Daily Sparkle big balloon.
We have brought together all of our winning and highly commended advice, and you can find it on the blog.
Congratulations to all!
