How residents can flourish at our Lowmoor Care Home 

 In Blog, Moving into Care

Moving into a nursing home can be a challenging time for families and residents alike, but it is important to be aware of the opportunities it also presents. Moving into one of our care homes is a great way for residents to flourish and interact with fellow residents and go out into the community while they are in our care. Here at Lowmoor Care Home, we have a wide range of facilities and initiatives that can help our residents to continue to thrive and grow.

It is important to us that our residents feel like they are still blooming and making a positive contribution to society. 

Importance of Activities and Trips into the Community

We organise a whole host of activities which play a vital role in the health and well-being of residents’ lives at Lowmoor Care Home. Our activities team cater for everyone, organising an active calendar of social, lifestyle and physical events to suit all ages and abilities.

At Lowmoor, our activities co-ordinators take inspiration from the world around them. Activities are also planned to coincide with national events, days of celebration and anything topical, for instance the upcoming King’s Coronation, that may lead to an idea that is fun and enjoyable. Activities at Lowmoor would usually include a weekly visit from a physiotherapist/ exercise instructor.  Puzzles and activities are a real favourite and so is bingo. The residents like to test their knowledge. Equally, some residents enjoy having a bit of quiet time and enjoy colouring – a therapeutic activity and great for mindfulness.

As the weather gets better, we refresh our activities and our attention shifts to the great outdoors, for instance, archery and bowls and we are also planning some outdoor barbeques at Lowmoor. Changes in the season is also an opportunity to bring a more colourful and fresh approach. For instance, at Ester time we have a company called Living Eggs delivering some embryo eggs; this is a unique 12-day chick hatching programme allowing residents and staff to experience the awe and wonder of watching their own chicks hatch.

Our activities coordinator also heads out into the local community and helps with keeping the local streets clean. Our residents and carers do assist with this by litter picking. This activity goes a long way in helping with the self-esteem of our residents. Residents feel they have actively contributed to the local community; they always return home in a positive frame of mind. This activity also provides an amazing opportunity for social connection – by bringing together residents around one common activity.

Pick up a new hobby at our Lowmoor Care Home 

The care we offer our residents here at Lidder Care is centred around the people. With the help of our medically trained nurses, residents can take up new hobbies they may have always wanted to try but did not have the confidence to do so. Hobbies play an important part in all our lives; whether it’s to pass the time, destress or remain mentally productive, having a hobby provided endless opportunities to enrich residents’ lives.

Over the last few years, there has been a growing trend for adult colouring. Many retailers now stock books with complex and beautiful designs ready for residents to colour in. Although a hobby and relaxing pastime, research suggests that colouring is good for mental health, lowering depression and anxiety. Audiobooks are also becoming increasingly popular; hearing a story often provides more insight into a story or poem, bringing stories to life in a new and relaxing way. The narrator’s voice can be comforting for those residents who prefer to spend time alone or they have recently arrived at Lowmoor and are not as familiar with their surroundings.

We can help our residents take up things like gardening, which offers rich benefits to both their physical and mental wellbeing. We also provide the opportunity to do arts and crafts and listen to music, which has similar therapeutic benefits. Listening to music can help residents connect with powerful memories, as well as helping them to express their feelings. Knitting is a very popular activity and is a brilliant way to keep residents’ hands and minds occupied. On top of physical benefits, from increased motor skills to improve coordination, hobbies such as drawing, colouring, or knitting can also boost cognitive function and even reduce the rate of development for a range of memory conditions such as Alzheimer’s.

Connect with family at our care homes 

Maintaining family relationships and friends are vital and integral to our residents’ wellbeing and safety. The relationships they have with their loved ones underpin who they are and remain just as important, if not more so, when people move into our service. At Lowmoor, we recognise the central importance of working with people, their friends, families and loved ones for maximum quality of life and well-being. Working together we adopt a strengths-based approach and ensure consistent improvement of services based on valuable feedback. It is essential to have regular conversations with families and we value their input in care planning.

The decision to move a loved one into a residential home can sometimes be a difficult one, which is why we understand it’s important residents and guests have a healthy and effective environment in which to connect. Our Lavender Tearoom and our Miners Arms pub provide environments perfect for family members to connect with their loved one. The relaxing environment will put residents and family members at ease so they can speak to each other without feeling uncomfortable.

Family and friends involvement should be at the forefront of positive care. It is this ability to connect with family, in comfortable surroundings, which means our residents at Lowmoor feel enriched and are equipped to thrive.

Find out more about how residents can flourish at our Lowmoor Care Home 

Lowmoor Care Home is an innovative concept for older people, combining quality accommodation with excellent facilities, high levels of personal care and independence. Here at Lowmoor we provide residents with a warm and safe environment with focussed care that puts the individual at the heart of everything we do.

If you would like to find out more about the ways residents can flourish here at Lowmoor Care Home, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. A member of the Lidder Care team will be happy to assist you with your question. 

For more information on what it’s like to stay at one of our homes, why not visit the Lidder Care blog