Residents Re-Live The 1940s In Care Home Tea Dance

A care home in Hartlepool invited residents, family and friends to step back in time by holding a tea dance inspired by the sights and sounds of the 1940s.

Staff at Queens Meadow care home, on Stockton Road, organised the event to help keep residents’ minds active and tap into their memories from days gone by.

Songs from the wartime era were played throughout the afternoon, transporting residents back to the times they spent in dance halls during their youth.

Julie Armstrong, care home manager at Queens Meadow, said: “This event was not only enjoyable for residents but also helped rekindle happy memories from the 1940s.

“Activities like this are particularly important for our residents who live with dementia or memory loss as they have less difficulty recalling long-term memories, such as those from when they were children and young adults.

“During events like this the residents also often tell us heart-warming and hilarious stories from their pasts which really adds to the atmosphere.”

Debbie Wilkes, the Activities Co-ordinator at Queens Meadow, added: “It was great to see so many family and friends joining in with the dance. We always like to hold events where we can invite others to join us and it was wonderful to see the residents teaching others dance moves from the 40s and sharing their stories from that time.”