There were celebrations all round when the team at two Dorset care homes welcomed the local community in for a day of art-themed fun and games.
The teams at Ferndown Manor, on Golf Links Road in Ferndown, and The Potteries, on York Road in Broadstone, welcomed local people to enjoy Care Home Open Day, a countrywide initiative set up to develop lasting relationships between care homes and local communities, and to dispel common myths about care home life.
This year’s theme celebrated the role of arts within care, which is important in encouraging residents’ self-expression, and helps to create meaningful experiences.
Residents and visitors to Ferndown Manor enjoyed a beach-themed party with bunting and citronella candle making and plant pot painting. Guests were also treated to summer fruit cocktails with afternoon tea, as well as a visit from a donkey and an ice cream van.
Meanwhile, at The Potteries, guests created colourful clay pieces with the residents and were joined by the children from Nanny’s House. Visitors also got to try out the Tovertafel magic table and enjoyed a spread of canapes in the Quayside café. The local community also took part in arts and crafts and heard a talk about the history of Poole Pottery from Max Beaumont of Duke’s Auctioneers.
Janet Lewis, home manager at Ferndown Manor, said: “Care Home Open Day is a wonderful opportunity for our home to connect with the local community and show what it’s really like to live in a care home. We all had a brilliant time welcoming people from Dorset into Ferndown Manor for a day of fun in the sun.”
Zita Turner, home manager at The Potteries, said: “We had a fantastic time celebrating Care Home Open Day at The Potteries. The residents really enjoyed the Poole Pottery talk and it was brilliant to see so many of our neighbours join us for the party.”
