Guild Care: Christmas party fun for care home residents

Staff hosted a party at Linfield House, while residents of Haviland House were taken to The Glamour Club for a Christmas get together.

Jola Harbuz, care home manager at Linfield House, said: “What’s magical about Christmas is that even those with more advanced dementia can join in with the celebrations and festivities. We have to take things steadily to ensure we don’t overwhelm our residents, or change things too much, but the atmosphere at this time of year is always lovely.

“With Christmas being such a nostalgic celebration, lots of our residents reminisce about their childhoods and younger years spent with family and friends. It’s great to see them relive those parts of their lives.”

The Linfield House party included a musical performance by Peter Ridge while residents sipped wine and fruit punch, and there was a raffle where residents won some festive gifts.

The home has also seen the return of its popular cinema showings, with White Christmas being this year’s choice for the big screen.

Haviland House is a dedicated dementia care home and activities co-ordinator Eileen Garbutt was thrilled residents were able to attend The Glamour Club’s Christmas party, having missed it last year due to Covid-19.

The club was launched by Janice Moth in 2019 to tackle loneliness and its events have been increasingly popular.

Eileen, a huge advocate for the club, said: “Before Covid-19 struck, we used to attend The Glamour Club but now we are back in full swing. We have been starved of entertainment and a good time throughout lockdown, so it means so much to our ladies and gentlemen that they can socialise and do nice things again.

“The Glamour Club is such a dementia-friendly event which makes it so easy for us to take the residents there to have a good time, and let me tell you, they all love it. The residents who attended had the most fantastic time, it made them feel like a hundred dollars and really got them into the Christmas spirit.

“On top of all the fun and camaraderie, The Glamour Club is doing great things to combat loneliness in and around Worthing, which is making a huge difference to our community.

“It’s also important to remember the benefits that celebrating, nostalgia and socialising can have for those living with dementia. Good moods, old memories and keeping loneliness at bay.”