Staff and residents at local care home, Bupa The Mellowes, have created a new initiative to spread a feel-good factor among residents and bring the community closer together.

The initiative, which started over summer, allows little ones to embark on a teddy bear hunt at the home to find themselves a new teddy, swapping it for one they already own and leaving it behind for the next child.

By creating the ‘Finding Friends Adventure’, staff hope to spread a feel-good message and help connect the community as something that people can feel a part of. Staff at the home provide updates on the hunt through a Facebook page, which encourages new families to take part and continue the adventure.

Vivian Jackson, 98, inspired the staff behind the initiative thanks to her love for both children and teddy bears, which is all part of the home’s #NeverTooLate campaign.

The campaign is being run across Bupa care homes to help residents live life to the full, while ticking off their bucket list. Elsewhere, in-home staff have worked to fulfil residents’ ambitions from meeting a musical icon through to an RAF flight experience.

Vivian said: “We love the new initiative and having lots of new faces visit to home to take part in the hunt. I love children and teddys so it’s great to be surrounded by them again.”

General Manager, Maureen Vickery, said: ‘We try to arrange as many personalised activities like this to encourage residents to continue ticking things off that they want to achieve while they are at the home.

‘Everyone’s got ambitions that they’d like to achieve and being in a care home shouldn’t get in the way of that. The residents absolutely love it, so hopefully more and more people can get involved.’

*Bupa The Mellowes Care Home welcomes anyone in need of nursing or residential care. Residents are offered a full programme of regular and seasonal activities, as well as 24-hour access to highly trained medical and care staff.

*************************
Sign up for the Gillingham News newsletter here