A tight-knit approach – Kidderminster care home residents revisit favourite hobbies

Residents at a care home in Kidderminster have been revisiting their favourite hobbies and shared their skills with the younger generation. 

Residents at Care UK’s Brook Court, on Oldnall Road, have been stepping back in time to enjoy knitting as part of a nationwide initiative – Long Lost Hobbies. 

The ‘Long Lost Hobbies’ initiative sees residents in Care UK homes across the country share their favourite hobbies and try new pastimes with younger generations after a national survey found 77% of adults feel technology is the cause of traditional skills being lost, including flower arranging, knitting and woodworking.

To ensure the hobbies of older generations are not forgotten, residents at Brook Court have been getting to the knitty-gritty and unwinding what makes their favourite pastime so enjoyable. 

As part of the initiative, residents have started their own knitting club to teach members of the team their stitch from their crochet. With some help from the community, they created three Brook Court blankets out of the squares knitted by all participants – one for each unit.

Connie, resident at Brook Court, said: “I used to love knitting clothes for my children when they were younger and this has brought back many special memories for me”.

Dawn Covill, Home Manager at Brook Court, said: “We had a fantastic time taking part in our knitting project here at Brook Court. 

“For those living with dementia, revisiting a past hobby, such as knitting, can help bring back memories, as well as providing an enjoyable way to connect with others through a familiar activity that once brought joy. These positive feelings gained from revisiting fond memories can help decrease stress, reduce agitation, and provide a feeling of success and confidence. 

“Residents and team members at Brook Court have loved revisiting their favourite hobbies and discovering new ways to pass the time from younger generations. It has been wonderful to hear residents talking about how they first discovered their favourite hobby and the fond memories this interest created.”  

Brook Court is a state-of-the-art care home which provides full-time residential, nursing, dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. The care home, which features 67 en-suite bedrooms, has been designed to enable its 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.

To find out more about Brook Court, please call on 01562 814 715, email Customer Relations Manager, Kay Mayes, on kay.mayes@careuk.com or visit careuk.com/brook-court.

For top tips on how you and your loved ones can revisit forgotten pastimes, please visit: careuk.com/long-lost-hobbies.