Foaling around! Leatherhead care home residents revisit favourite hobbies

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

Residents at Care UK’s Milner House, on Ermyn Way, have been stepping back in time to enjoy horse riding 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 Milner House have been getting to the knitty-gritty and unwinding what makes their favourite pastime so enjoyable.

As part of the initiative, team members encouraged residents to reminisce about their favourite hobbies, with resident Frank Grace talking about his lifelong passion for horses which saw him work in a horse sanctuary and take up horse riding. Keen for Frank to revisit his hobby, the team at Milner House surprised Frank with a visit from Rosie, a friendly horse who was waiting in the home’s garden for Frank to show her round.

Commenting on Rosie’s visit, Frank said: “Horses like Rosie have always made my day. You shouldn’t be afraid of them, just because they’re big. Love them and they will love you”.

Michele Belch, Home Manager at Milner House, said: “We had a fantastic time revisiting Frank’s hobby and taking Rosie for a walk around the garden.

“For those living with dementia, revisiting a past hobby, such as horse riding, 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 Milner House 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.”

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

Milner House care home provides full-time residential, dementia, nursing and short-term respite care. The home, which features 46 ensuite bedrooms, 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 hair salon and beautiful gardens.

To find out more about Milner House, please call 01372 278 992, email Customer Relations Manager, Georgie Wilkins, on georgie.wilkins@careuk.com or visit careuk.com/milner-house.