Curiosity shop at Haverhill care home is open for business

Home news

Jul 04, 2016

Residents are maintaining their independence and keeping active after the official opening of their own curiosity shop at Cleves Place care home.

The Cleves Curiosity Shop, which officially opened with a ribbon cutting event on Friday 1st June, stocks a range of vintage and nostalgic items as well as hats, books, puzzles, toiletries and snacks.

As well as shopping at the store, residents at Cleves Place also manage the shop on a day-to-day basis, alongside volunteers from the local Leading Lives centre for adults with learning disabilities. Residents enjoy the responsibility of stocking the shelves and serving customers, as well as popping in for a browse. 

Sharlene Van Tonder, home manager at Cleves Place, said: “We are thrilled to have opened the Cleves Curiosity Shop. It’s important for older people, particularly those living with dementia, to continue to enjoy everyday activities like shopping, as they did before they moved in to residential care. The shop has already helped residents to establish a new sense of purpose, with many routinely popping in for a browse or a chat. We look forward to the shop becoming a real hub of activity in the home.”

The Cleves Curiosity Shop is the latest in a number of innovative dementia-friendly features at Cleves Place, including a traditional pub and an indoor seaside area with a beach hut. The familiar sights of the shop, pub and the beach hut have brought back fond memories for residents and have helped those living with dementia to feel comfortable at the home.