Blairgowrie care home residents and staff dive into beach party
Residents at Renaissance Care’s Beech Manor Care Home in Blairgowrie had a (beach) ball of a time at their indoor beach party last week despite the dreich weather outside.
Care home staff pulled out all the stops for the beach party which was planned to help boost the mood of the elderly residents and staff alike after a challenging year.
Despite a distinct lack of sun in the sky last Friday, staff got creative, with bags of sand and fruity cocktails for the residents who have been longing for a summer holiday since last year.
Bright Hawaiian shirts, flower head bands, and of course, grass skirts, were in no short supply during the afternoon of beach themed food and games, all designed to bring some fun and fitness for the residents.
From sandcastle building competitions, to a socially distanced beach ball tournament, fruit kebabs and cocktails with a dash of prosecco, residents and staff dived headfirst into the party, enjoying some much needed downtime.
Before Covid-19, residents were very fond of trips out to the seaside where they would eat ice-cream and enjoy seagull watching. Some residents have recently expressed their desire to get back out to the beach, and even for a holiday abroad, so staff wanted to do something special for the residents who they consider their ‘second-family’.
Activity co-ordinator, Sheila Baxter, said: “My colleagues and I have learned to get creative this past year, using whatever we have at our fingers tips to give our residents the best experience possible. We know the residents extremely well and have used this knowledge to form a schedule of fun activities for them which will help boost the atmosphere in the home.
“The party was brilliant fun, everyone loved getting dressed up and it was fantastic to see so much colour and energy about the home. Keeping our residents fit and heathy is our main priority here at Renaissance Care Beech Manor, so the party was the perfect way to encourage everyone to get up and have some fun.”
