Mansfield Care give residents a supply of fun activities with activity boxes

A BORDERS care home has created personalised hobby boxes for its residents, enabling them to continue to enjoy their favourite activities while adhering with social distancing measures.

After residents of Mansfield Care’s Galahill House in Galashiels could no longer use communal areas following COVID-19 restrictions, staff had the creative idea to organise individual activity boxes for each resident to enjoy in their rooms.

The care home’s staff have created personalised activity boxes for its 20 residents, filled with hobbies each resident enjoys, such as knitting needles, CD’s and DVD’s, crosswords and magazines.

Tracy McGeown, Activities Coordinator at Galahill House, said: “After restrictions were introduced to keep our residents safe, we had to adapt to new ways to ensure everyone is cared for and kept entertained and socialised.

“We came up with the idea of a personalised activity box which are catered to everyone’s different interests.  The boxes stay in our residents’ rooms so they can enjoy them whenever they want, and are updated regularly.

“As well as being entertaining, we’ve included activities in the boxes for cognitive and sensory engagement. For example, one of our residents used to be a farmer and likes to read a particular farmer’s magazine which he gets from his friend, we ensure he receives every new edition of the magazine in his activity box.

“Another of our residents adores playing dominoes, so our care staff regularly take time to play with him. This ensures he’s still playing the game he loves every day, but he’s also minimising contact with other residents.”

Tracy, added: “Our residents love what we’ve been doing. With every box being unique to each of them, it really gives them a sense of enjoyment as well as a feeling of appreciation.”

The personalised activity boxes have been a great success with the residents and staff. Residents at another of Mansfield Care’s 11 homes have been taking part in a sensory activity called ‘Conversation Ball’, which is designed to stimulate cognitive behaviour and spark fond memories to those suffering with dementia.

Mansfield Care specialises in small, friendly residential care homes in Edinburgh, Borders and west of Scotland; each designed to an exceptional standard with state-of-the-art facilities.

The Mansfield Care ethos is inspired by the kind of care we would wish for ourselves in later life – supportive, friendly, bright, positive, empathetic, respectful and homely.

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