Living the sweet life! Frimley care home sugar coats its space with sweet shop launch

Home news

Apr 27, 2021

A Frimley care home has opened its very own sweet shop to encourage residents to ‘pick-and-mix’ their favourite treats.

From liquorice allsorts and parma violets, to pearl drops and jelly babies, residents have been weighing up their preferences and revisiting childhood memories when the doors opened to the latest addition to Care UK’s Whitebourne Care Home, on Burleigh Road.

The sweet shop has been designed in a retro fashion to encourage reminiscence among residents, and gives those that choose to be involved in the day-to-day running of the shop a sense of independence and purpose.

Resident and sweet shop assistant Sylvia, who helped to serve some special treats including freshly made scones at the grand launch, said: “It was lovely to be behind the counter serving, and I also enjoyed choosing the sweets”

Francis Bosompim, Home Manager at Whitebourne, said: “We are delighted to welcome residents to our fantastic new sweet shop. Our vintage shop will help improve residents’ independence, while encouraging memories from their younger years with tastes from their past.

“Here at Whitebourne, all of the activities we organise and additions we make to the home are purposely designed to be meaningful and beneficial to the wellbeing and care of residents. Revisiting those sweet treats from years gone by can have a powerful effect on older people, especially those living with dementia, as it can trigger fond, calming memories of their childhood. These activities are a great way to use resident’s rich history and past experiences to start conversations, encourage friendships and we’ve even the odd debate over the best sweets.

“It seems that no matter what sweets we choose as our favourites, or how old we may get, buying treats from a sweet shop will forever put a smile on our faces.”

Whitebourne has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. The home provides residential, respite and specialist dementia care, as well as end of life care.

To find out more about Whitebourne, please call 01276819497 or email Home Manager, Francis Bosompim, at francis.bosompim@careuk.com

For more general information, please visit careuk.com/whitebourne