No Cases Of The Lockdown Blues At Macclesfield Care Facility
Staff and residents at Rowans Care Centre in Macclesfield have been working hard to develop a new and innovative programme of activities to help combat social isolation during the coronavirus pandemic.
The home, which is based on Merriden Road, specialises in providing care for elderly clients with a variety of conditions; from assistance with basic living tasks through to elderly nursing or caring for clients living with dementia.
As part of the new programme, staff at the home have been working hard to make some of the residents’ favourite activities more accessible. This included creating large print books, talking books and talking newspapers for them to listen to.
Audiobooks have been proven to increase an individual’s focus and attention span, as well as improving memory. The large print books, which feature increased font sizes and pictures, also help residents to enjoy reading activities with minimal assistance and allow them to feel a sense of independence within the home.
Ann Lee, 82, one of the residents at Rowans Care Centre, said: “I feel very happy now that we have got the talking newspapers and large print books at the home. I have always loved reading about current affairs, but I often find it difficult to read the small text in newspapers. Now, I am able to listen to everything that is happening in the world without asking for help reading the words!”
Another activity that residents at Rowans Care Centre have been enjoying is exchanging postcards and letters with pupils at a local school, Ivy Bank Primary School. Staff at the care centre sent out an appeal on social media for people to write a card or letter to service users to ensure that the home remained engaged with the local community throughout the lockdown period.
In their responses, pupils discussed a variety of topics, including their return to school, their excitement of seeing their friends again and what kind of activities they had been up to during lockdown.
The cards were met with laughter and smiles from service users and many have expressed their amusement at some of the ways that the children have been keeping themselves occupied during the pandemic.
Katherine Turner, home manager at Rowans Care Centre, said: “Our residents were so excited to receive the cards from the local primary school. It was so kind of them to let our residents know how they have been getting on during lockdown and some of the stories were fascinating. After reading a story from one of the children, one of our residents has said they would like to try out a PlayStation 4 and may even ask their family for one this Christmas!”
