Care Home Staff Are Going Above And Beyond To Keep Residents Smiling During Coronavirus
Updated: Read the latest developments on the coronavirus outbreak here.
The UK lockdown is tough on everyone, but presents a unique challenge to staff caring for the county’s most elderly and vulnerable people in residential homes.
Around 410,000 residents live in UK care homes, with many of them affected by conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s, making it difficult for some to understand what’s going on or why their families can no longer visit.
Other residents may be acutely aware of the continuing Covid-19 situation, and feeling anxious about their health, while also isolated from loved ones.
Amid ongoing worries over shortages of personal protective equipment and delays in testing key workers, care home staff are going above and beyond to ensure residents aren’t only staying safe, but staying happy.
Earlier this month, Bryn Celyn Care Home in Bridgend lifted the spirits of residents – and thousands around the world – when they shared a video of residents playing a human version of Hungry Hungry Hippos. And residents of Aberdeen’s Renais Care Home were cheered by 17 baby chicks which hatched from eggs they’d been caring for since February, the BBC reported.
Tweet🐥:
Residents @RenaisCareHomes in #Aberdeen have been chirped up following the arrival of 17 baby chicks.
Eggs they had been caring for since February began to hatch last week.
Staff said caring for the birds has been a "great distraction" to the #coronavirus pandemic. 😍 pic.twitter.com/0W7YkqJpRX— Ben Philip (@BenPhilip_) March 27, 2020
Since then, staff at other care homes have been getting creative, too. Staff at Bupa’s Elmstead Care Home in Chislehurst noticed that lack of visitors was having a real impact on residents, so they’ve created some new activities to keep everyone amused.
“We normally have lots of people coming and going, whether that’s family and friends or entertainers coming in for the activities,” home manager Emma Staples tells HuffPost UK. “At...
