Care Home Residents Get Chance To Hit Out At Covid – Literally

Residents at a care home celebrated their first party since lockdown by getting their chance to show what they really think about  COVID-19.

Dedicated staff at Mansfield Care’s Argyll House in Kilmarnock organised a COVID-19 Piñata – with residents invited to give the traditional kids Mexican good luck figurine a ‘beating’ to mark the end of the tough restrictions.

Residents attending the home’s ‘masquerade’ ball were also able to swap their usual face coverings for elaborate face masks that had been specially designed for the event.

Stephen Ranstead, Manager at Argyll House, said: “We thought a masquerade ball was pretty fitting as it is a change from the usual masks we are all used to wearing. It’s also a fun way to get the residents back interacting and enjoying time together.

“Many of our residents were excited to celebrate returning to some sort of normality.

“This was the first time we could bring residents together in over a year and a half. We also invited some residents from the neighbouring Mansfield Care care home, Belhaven House.”

Delighted residents had the added bonus of going face to face with the COVID-19 themed Piñata, which each taking turns to break it up.

Stephen added: “It’s been a challenging year for all of us so we introduced a Covid Piñata to help release any frustration caused by the pandemic and ultimately to have a bit of fun trying to break it and release the sweets inside.

“It’s fair to say the residents got very involved and enjoyed showing what they thought of Covid and the impact it has had on their lives.”

As well as a host of musical entertainment and party treats, to complete the ball’s theme, residents were wearing personal masks that they designed for the event.

A competition was also held between Care Home managers, Stephen Ranstead from Argyll House and Fiona Hunter from Belhaven House, with residents judging who designed the best face mask.