Essex Care Home Residents Go Wild On Safari!
Residents at RMBI Care Co. Home Prince Edward Duke of Kent Court in Stisted, Essex, have been having a wild time this week, enjoying a safari in the Home’s grounds.
In normal times, residents at the Home are taken on lots of fun, sociable and stimulating excursions, with some residents even trying activities such as ice-skating to horse-riding. But since lockdown, for their own safety, residents haven’t been able to go on any trips outside of the Home.
Staff at the Home were determined to find a way to provide their residents with some outdoor fun and stimulation, so they came up with the idea of creating a safari ride in the grounds of the Home, complete with a safari truck and wild animals to spot amongst the trees.
Home Manager Aggie McDonald explains: “We thought hard about what we could do to offer some safe outdoor fun and adventure for our residents. Our grounds are huge, so one of our staff had the idea of creating a safari!”
The Association of Friends of Prince Edward Duke of Kent Court helped to make the idea a reality by donating a golf cart, which was redecorated as The Stisted Safari Shuttle.
As well as being a lot of fun, the safari provides residents with a multi-sensory experience, which supports their health and wellbeing. Carers at the Home drive the truck around the grounds, through beautiful woodland, and along the River Blackwater, stopping along the way to point out wildflowers and signs of the changing seasons.
Among the residents who agrees the safari is a wild idea is Eileen Sims, who said: “It’s been a lot of fun going out in the safari truck to get some fresh air.”
Resident, Pat May, agreed: “It is really lovely down by the river, it’s so quiet and peaceful.”
Aggie McDonald said: “Our residents absolutely love going out in our new safari truck, so much so that we are introducing it into our weekly routine. As well as ensuring they get out in the fresh air, it has proved to be a powerful sensory experience, triggering happy memories and prompting lots of lively conversation.”
