With Christmas around the corner, care homes across the UK will be planning a range of activities to help their residents celebrate the festive season. Care managers will be looking at their seasonal rotas and ensuring there is enough care staff working Christmas and New Year. Now that restrictions have been lifted, this year is likely to look more like a pre-COVID Christmas.
Making Christmas extra special for residents
It’s an exciting time for most people. Your residents will have memories of the festive season throughout the decades, but it is important to remember that not everyone will have a reason to celebrate.
Carers need to know their residents and get an idea of how they used to spend Christmas before they moved into the home. It is a good idea to look at person-centred care plans, especially if the people you are caring for cannot tell you how they feel. Be sensitive to other cultures and religions, and work to support each resident with their own festivals and traditions.
Setting the scene
There is a myriad of festive activities to enjoy. If residents take a keen interest in prepping for the Christmas season, you can arrange craft sessions for them to make their own decorations to be displayed in the home. You can also ask them to help you decorate the trees and set the scene in early December.
For some residents, they will rely on their senses to remind them of particular events. If you have a baking club, you can make mince pies together to create a Christmas aroma, using food-safe gloves to avoid too much mess.
Reaching out to the local community
Now visiting restrictions have been lifted, you can reach out to your local community to see if groups want to come in and run activities. This could be a group of carol singers coming in and performing one night or a local brass band visiting.
You can also ask local businesses and supermarkets if they are willing to donate supplies for activities, as most have community outreach programmes.
Getting out and about
For mobile residents or homes with access to minibuses, getting out to local events can create magical memories for both staff and residents. You could take a group out to buy presents and cards for their loved ones or visit local Christmas fairs and markets.
Connecting with family
Families might need a gentle prompt to come and visit, so you may have to encourage children and grandchildren to come to the home. If they live far away, you can use Zoom for video calls to their loved ones.
Carers can help residents with wrapping presents and writing cards. If you pull together as a team, you can also organise Christmas meals at the home for residents to enjoy with their families. Preparing a feast is easy with food-safe gloves.
Christmas morning
It is vital to make sure there are enough carers to help residents get dressed and ready for Christmas morning. Make sure you are stocked up on supplies to make their job a little easier.
Taking care of staff
With 166,000 care workers on shift on Christmas day, it is important to look after them and make sure they also get time to spend with their families. Carers are in short supply, but flexible rotas will help your team to manage. Some might prefer to work Christmas and have a short break for New Year, or vice versa.
A care worker’s job is very demanding, skilled and vital to the wellbeing of so many residents and their relatives. Respect.
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