Dining through the decades – Enfield care home takes a trip down memory lane

Home news

Feb 23, 2021

Residents at a care home in Enfield have taken a trip down memory lane as part of a nationwide initiative to rediscover their favourite foods from the past.

Care UK’s Elizabeth Lodge, on Pennington Drive, hosted a 1970s dinner party as part of their celebrations, which aimed to rediscover residents favourite foods from the era. The specially crafted menu was made by the home’s talented chef, John Alexandrou, and included prawn cocktails to start, followed by chicken kiev, and black forest gateau for dessert.

The home hosted a Zoom singalong with resident’s families, which ended with everyone singing the 70s classic ‘We are Family’ by Sister Sledge. During the party, residents were treated to cheese and pineapple on sticks, vol-au-vents and martini lemonade.

The ‘Food for Thought’ initiative sees Care UK homes across the country take part in activities which encourage memory sharing and the use of food as a tool for reminiscence.

Michelle Sampang, Home Manager at Elizabeth Lodge, said: “We had a wonderful time dining through the decades and reminiscing about our favourite foods from the past.

“Reminiscence activities have many positive effects for older people, particularly those living with dementia. Re-connecting with the past can improve mood, encourage communication and provide a topic and stimulus for residents to engage with.

“Everyone had a wonderful time chatting about their favourite foods, and it was wonderful to hear about everyone’s fond memories the 1970s.”

As part of the project, Care UK has also teamed up with BBC’s Back in Time for… presenter and historian, Dr Polly Russell, to create a special tasting menu for residents to enjoy. Designed to be used as a sensory tool to encourage reminiscence in older people, the menu features iconic foods from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s, and has been used as part of an interactive storytelling session, hosted by Dr Polly, to encourage reminiscence.

Dr Polly commented: “I am delighted to have partnered with Care UK for this project. There really is something incredibly special about the way food can evoke memories and emotions. Just one flavour or smell can prompt a different memory and emotion for each individual, which is why food can be such a powerful tool for memory recall.”

Elizabeth Lodge has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. The home provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care.

To find out more about Elizabeth Lodge, please call Home Manager, Michelle Sampang, on 0333 4343 024, or email michelle.sampang@careuk.com  

To find out more about Care UK’s partnership with Dr Polly Russell, and for more top tips on how you and your loved ones can get involved at home, visit careuk.com/food-for-thought

If you’re looking for more information about nutrition for older people, download our guide to ‘Eating as we age’ here: careuk.com/eating-as-we-age-guide