Making a splash! Banbury care home resident returns to the pool

A Banbury care home resident had her long-held wish fulfilled when she enjoyed a very special swim.

Kathleen Darby, aged 84, who lives at Care UK’s Highmarket House, on North Bar Place, recently fulfilled her wish of going swimming again – something she hadn’t been able to enjoy for almost a decade. Kathleen previously lived next to a swimming pool and was a keen swimmer, visiting whenever she could before issues with mobility made this more difficult.

Determined to help Kathleen reconnect with her passion for being in the water, the team at Highmarket House arranged a special visit to Brackley Leisure Centre, where accessible facilities such as a poolside wheelchair and hoist made the experience possible.

Kathleen was joined by a small group of fellow residents who take part in weekly swimming sessions as part of the home’s varied activity programme.

Speaking about her experience of getting back in the pool, Kathleen said: “I was a bit nervous when I approached the pool, however a member of the public who happened to be a swimming teacher helped me to gain my confidence again. It was lovely to be in the water – it felt quite cold at first, and I did squeal as I was lowered into the water, but I soon got used to it! Everyone was very kind and the staff at the pool were so helpful. I cannot wait to go again.”

This experience was organised as part of Care UK’s Wishing Tree initiative, that enables residents to put wishes forward to revisit old hobbies and passions or try something completely new. Whether it’s a fish and chip supper, a skydive or watching a football match, no wish is too big or small for the team to try and grant.

Francesca Cowley, Home Manager at Highmarket House, said: “Here at Highmarket House, we’re always looking for ways to make residents’ wishes come true, no matter how big or small – so when Kathleen shared how much she missed swimming, we were determined to make it happen.

“Swimming is not only a great form of gentle exercise, but also something she loved doing for many years – so it was incredibly special to see her back in the water, smiling and enjoying every moment.”

Highmarket House is a state-of-the-art care home that provides full-time residential, nursing, and dementia, as well as short-term respite care. Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, the care home incorporates plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies and includes its own cinema, hair and beauty salon and café.