It’s all been happening a Kingswood’s residential and nursing memory care home,
Pennwood Lodge, this week as not only have they welcomed back singing in the garden but the inside has been spruced up with a beautiful piece of artwork, Residents have enjoyed some fun in the sun and the hair salon has reopened!
Today Pennwood welcomed back ‘MindSong’, singing in the garden. These ladies sing to the residents in the garden and are a charity that visits care homes once a fortnight. Mindsong supported the home during the pandemic by writing letters, making hairbands for staff, making lavender bags and sending artwork in.
Afterwards, everyone joined in with a socially distanced afternoon tea.
The ladies from Mindsong commented, “It's great to be back, we have missed you, lovely to see old faces and welcomed new faces.”
Carson, a Resident at home, said, "How lovely it was!"
One fellow Resident added, “I remember them coming last year"
Colleague Julie Hill, remarked, “It was lovely to see our Residents sitting in the garden and engaging in song.”
Following on, last week, Pennwood Lodge received a beautiful donation of artwork
Rebecca Edwards, Care Assistant, kindly donated a piece of her artwork from her University project. The artwork was a very brightly coloured canvas of autumn leaves. See pictured Rebecca Edwards and Julie.
Residents admired the lovely autumn colours in the painting and it fitted lovely with the theme of our quiet garden area on Laburnum (our Dementia Nursing community).
Rebecca stated it was a pleasure to paint for the home.
Julie said it how nice it was and how it has cheered up the walls in the area.
Residents particularly liked the colours of the leaves, with one commented, “How lovely, so pretty.”
Julie said, “It is so nice to have staff going the extra mile to brighten up the home, I wish Rebecca all the best with her course.”
With the nice weather this week, Residents have also been ouside enjoying some fun in the sun.
On Monday, Residents, including Julie, Carson, Freda, Edna, Pauline, Jean, enjoyed a little bit of the sunshine in the garden for coffee morning where they reminisced about summer holidays and they broke out in song too, singing ‘Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!’
Instead of coffee, some chose to have cold drinks and ice lollies.
Edna commented, “It was lovely to sit out in the garden and get some fresh air.”
Sarah Daly, Care Home Manager, commented, “Seeing the Residents from the nursing community instigating an activity. They instigated talking about holidays and singing.”
Today also brought some great news with the hair salon at the home reopening. Pennwood welcomed back Angela, the home’s hairdresser, to a newly decorated salon.
The salon had extra mirrors and a gentlemen seat added. Freshly painted walls and wall paper added for a feature wall too.
They also made a nail bar, out of a table recycled from a local free cycle site, the nail bar was designed and decorated by Resident Thelma.
Angela commented, “How lovely it is to be back, the salon is amazing and it’s really nice to see the Residents.”
Thursday afternoon is pampering day for all Residents – so this was put to use straight away and Residents enjoyed a glass of Bucks Fizz with strawberries in celebration.
Sarah said, “It was a truly special day and so nice to see the Residents getting their hair done and feeling pampered.”
“In the future we plan to use the salon for relaxation therapy sessions.”