Picture perfect – art workshop a success at Southmead care home

To celebrate all things art, residents at a care home in Southmead took part in a special painting project to encourage reminiscence. 

Care UK’s Trymview Hall, on Southmead Road, hosted a painting workshop where residents were encouraged to paint scenes that had inspired them throughout their lives as part of a reminiscence-themed art project. 

The session proved incredibly beneficial for everyone involved, including lifelong art lover and formerly right-handed painter, Toni. After a stroke in May 2020, Toni lost mobility in her right side, meaning she was no longer able to paint like she used to – but the workshop inspired her to pick up a paintbrush and be creative again, this time using her left hand. 

Toni said: “I taught myself to use my left hand, which was really hard. I have had to find new ways to do the things I used to.

“At Christmas I couldn’t write my Christmas cards for the first time in my life. But today I wrote birthday cards for my grandchildren! Getting back to art has undoubtedly help me to improve my skills and given me more independence and confidence.”

Another resident who took part in the session, Phoebe, was inspired by her favourite poem, ‘Warning’ by Jenny Joseph, which is all about being rebellious in older age. “When I am an old woman” reads the poem, “I shall wear purple with a red hat that doesn’t go and that doesn’t suit me.” Phoebe, who enjoys sketching and free hand paintings, was inspired to draw herself as the main character resplendent in the poem’s outlandish attire. 

Charlotte Levin, Home Manager at Trymview Hall, said: “Art is a fantastic way to express ourselves, and can have many positive benefits for older people, including those recovering from strokes or living with dementia. 

“On top of physical benefits, from increased motor skills to improved coordination, creative activities, such as painting, can encourage reminiscence and give people an alternative way of communicating their thoughts and feelings. 

“It’s safe to say the art session was a big success, and we loved seeing the look on Toni’s face as she was able to enjoy an activity she used to love – all while sharing her best painting tips with everybody else. We’re all looking forward to getting our pencils and brushes out again very soon.”

The new care home provides full-time residential and dementia care, with 66 ensuite bedrooms, and has been designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence. The care home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities and includes its own cinema, hairdressing salon and café.

For more information about Trymview Hall, please email Customer Relations Manager, Michael Kenny, on michael.kenny@careuk.com or call 0333 321 8351.

To find out more about Trymview Hall, visit careuk.com/trymview-hall.