Issue 69 11.08.21
The weekly online newsletter for the care sector
Dementia-friendly garden is blooming marvellous
Time capsules capture highs and lows ...
RESIDENTS at a care organisation are keeping in touch with nature thanks to a dazzling dementia-friendly garden. The vast array of thousands of varieties of flowers and plants at Pendine Park’s 11-acre site on the outskirts of Wrexham is providing a blaze of colour and a profusion of mother nature’s perfumes. There are similar sights and scents and Pendine’s other sites in Wrexham and Caernarfon with all eight homes situated in acres of lovingly-tended grounds. The spectacular multi-coloured spectacle is down to the imagination and hard work of head gardener Andrew Jones, pictured right. and his six-strong team of green-fingered staff. Offering everything from roses to rhododendrons and aliums to geraniums, the gardens across each site have been described as looking “absolutely stunning”. Andrew has been given free rein by Pendine’s nature-loving owners Mario and Gill Kreft to choose exactly how the gardens should look, working without the constraints of “a plant budget” as he continually eyes up ways to further enhance the grounds. As well as making the sites look visually appealing, Andrew plays another key role when it comes to choosing what flowers should be planted next. He said Pendine Park values the importance of sensory plants, which allow residents with individual needs such as dementia and limited eyesight to have their senses stimulated – such as through touching or smelling. Andrew regularly chooses brightlycoloured plants or those which are easy to feel or smell when deciding what should next adorn the grounds. “A lot of credit should go to my
RESIDENTS at Rogers House care home in Wigmore joined the ‘Moment in Time’ project and have created a time capsule based around the past 18 months. Inspired by sharing the highs and lows of pandemic life, NAPA and the National Care Forum created the Moment in Time project, focusing on the social care sector and the experiences of those living and working in it. Home manager Jackie Miles said: “The pandemic has been tough for us all, but in the social care sector it has been particularly challenging, as heightened restrictions have been needed throughout to keep the vulnerable safe. “Our residents have missed visits and outings, but we’ve really pulled together as a family to keep one another’s spirits up and the community have rallied around us too. We wanted to capture that in this capsule and include our story for future generations to hear.” Residents filled their capsule with photos, news stories and collages they had created. They also included notes with their own experiences and letters they’d received from the community and local school children. The aim of the boxes is to pull together the various stories and feelings from the past 18 months, including the difficult times and the things that made us feel supported or loved, and keep them together in one place. The boxes were sealed and will be reopened again next year.
predecessor who considered this to be important,” he said. “They had clearly given some thought to it and I am happy to take the same approach. It’s about residents having the chance to touch something and engage with it. The idea is that they are getting to use their senses such as touch and smell.” Andrew recognises the benefit of including “bright and brash” flowers throughout the grounds to help stimulate the sight of residents, while familiar floral delights such as Lamb’s Ears are ideal for touching. “We look at all the senses that can be stimulated,” he said. “If any of our residents can benefit from it then we are happy to help. “You could even potentially include taste, as there are plants such as nasturtiums which you can eat the leaves from.”
The desire to meet the needs of residents is also important to Andrew when it comes to choosing which new plants should be on view each day. He works tirelessly with his team to ensure the gardens are immaculate and the residents are afforded attractive views from their windows. Not only can they cast their eyes on a spectacular range of plants of all shapes and sizes throughout the sites, but there are also added attractions such as water features. The spacious lawns and courtyards are ideal for residents to enjoy picnics and outdoor activities during the summer months. Andrew is determined that residents should get the best possible experience from the gardens he loyally tends to. “The residents live here. This is their home,” he said.
A BIG THANK YOU
FROM ALL OF US TO ALL OF YOU FOR ALL YOU ARE DOING TO KEEP OUR MOST VULNERABLE SAFE AND HAPPY …
WE’RE IN AWE OF YOUR SELFLESS HARD WORK AND DEDICATION.
Caring UK is part of the Script Media companies
CALLING ALL SUPPLIERS …
Your online presence has never been more important so that you can keep in touch with your clients! Do you need a website – and quick – to sell your services and products online? We can help with a five-page website, with or without payment facilities AT NO UPFRONT COST! And it will be ready within ONE WEEK of us receiving the necessary information. That’s the design and development of your own website within seven days! Includes domain name (.com or .co.uk), hosting in the UK and email forwarding We can also help with SEO, PPC, flyers or promotional material and affordable advertising in print and online! Contact us today: sally@scriptmedia.co.uk or 07939 324 781