Celebrating Silver Sunday and Grandparents Day

Silver Sunday started as a tea dance to tackle loneliness and isolation for older people. It is now a nationally recognised day celebrating older people and their contribution to society.

At Oakland Care, we are celebrating residents across our homes! Whether it’s creating exciting activities in our homes, like our recent Summer Olympics, or our Memory Walks in support of Alzheimer’s Day, we are always planning and embracing different ways to tackle isolation and loneliness in society.

Over the last 18 months, we have had to be innovative in our approach to keeping connected. Our homes have adapted, and it’s been wonderful to see new connections created in the most challenging times.

At Oakland Care, we were the first in the UK to receive free Google Nest smart speakers at Lambwood Heights, which enabled residents to make calls and connect with friends and family. The Nest devices were set up for the residents, including their contacts and calling preferences, to help them to feel more connected with their loved ones.

The purpose-built hubs were simplified for the home’s less tech-savvy residents, and each of them has full control over their privacy settings.

Oakland Care’s Chief Executive Officer, Joanne Balmer, is always on the look-out for innovative ways to enrich residents’ lives and to help them maintain independence. She explained: “High-tech smart speakers are usually associated with younger people, but we are embracing this ground-breaking technology as an aid for our residents.

“For older people, and especially those with mobility issues, the world can often seem like it’s shrinking. With the Covid-19 pandemic and social distancing measures, the ability to stay connected is more important than ever”.

With things beginning to open up more, we were able to take residents on trips to the seaside in Hastings for ice cream and fish and chips! Winnie Mulgrew, our resident from Lambwood Heights discovered her passion for dance once again. Winnie was once one of the famous Windmill Girls at the Windmill theatre in the 1940s and 1950 – recently she attended dance classes at a local dance company and loved it! Activities like this help to tackle social isolation and loneliness by getting people out into the community and enjoying a day out with friends.

Our community services and variety of activities also aid friendships such as the Memory Café held at Lambwood Heights and Elsyng House, art and craft competitions, casino games night and spa days – all designed to enhance every day for our residents.

In celebration of togetherness, this Silver Sunday our homes will be hosting special ‘Afternoon Teas’ and entertainment for residents and their loved ones.

Discover more about  Oakland Care, as we strive to tackle social isolation every day within our homes.