Lollies and tropical drinks hit the spot
Making ice-lollies and tropical punch has proved a great way to encourage elderly residents at a dementia care home in Wellington to maintain their fluid intake during the recent hot weather.
The team at Camelot House and Lodge have been actively involving the people they care for to share in preparing ice lollies made from fresh fruit and juice, yogurt and milkshakes
Activities co-ordinator Harriet Burraston said: “Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the preparations, and afterwards we had a hydration station where our ladies and gents could get their delicious lollies, fresh fruit and big pitchers of homemade lemonade and tropical punch.
“All our residents are affected to a greater or lesser extent by the eating issues associated with dementia, which often means they don’t automatically reach for a drink when maybe they should.
“We’re always very aware of the need to keep an eye on how much they are drinking because dehydration can have serious health implications such as urinary tract infections, mood changes, and dizziness - which makes falls more likely,
“Although it’s been hot, thirst reflexes in the elderly don’t kick in like they do when you’re young, so we know it’s even more important than usual to monitor how much people are drinking and make the most of any opportunity to encourage them to boost their fluid intake.
“Involving our residents in the preparation of ice lollies and drinks for their own consumption proved a real hit.
“They also love rocking up to our in-house pub bar, the Windsor Arms, which they named themselves for the late actress Barbara Windsor who many of them loved.
“The Windsor Arms has been in operation nearly five years now. It was created by our talented maintenance man Wally Perlik and had only just been completed when Dame Barbara passed on.
“We were lucky to have donations to help create an authentic pub atmosphere, including from Sheppy Cider and the home’s local pub Blackbird Inn, who donated glasses, table runners, beer mats and cider.
“We aim to do everything we can to help our residents live their best lives, and having fun with activities like this is a huge part of that.”
Camelot House and Lodge is run by award-winning dementia care provider Camelot Care, which also runs care homes in Bridgwater, Plymouth and Yeovil, with a fifth due to open in Holsworthy in Devon later this year.
