Social Life at  Sydenham House

At Sydenham House, we want our residents to experience a full and meaningful social life while they are with us.  To this end we have an Activities Co-Ordinator who runs a variety of 1 to 1 sessions and activities with small groups, with the emphasis on quality and involvement.

Regular visitors to Sydenham House are a hairdresser and chiropodist with exercise classes taking place every Friday.  There are also visits from entertainers, art groups and acting groups, as well as impromptu singalongs.  A GP from the local practice visits the home every week to review people’s needs.

We encourage involvement with the local community and are especially proud of our intergenerational project with primary school children.

Our residents are encouraged to make trips out and this include picnics, visits to the local shops, walks and drives in the nearby Forest of Dean, trips to the seaside, garden centres and coffee shops.  There are also seasonal events such as carol singing at Christmas and a Summer Fete in the garden which has proved very popular with the local community of Blakeney.

Why is a social life important?

Remaining involved in various social activities and staying as active as possible is absolutely essential to the happiness and wellbeing of our residents at the care home. Obtaining a high level of mental wellbeing for elderly people is key to providing them with optimum functionality and independence. This also helps with other factors of their lives such as optimism, overall satisfaction, feeling purposeful, self-esteem, and a sense of support and belonging.

The best care homes will have a dedicated individual (our Activities Co-ordinator) that is employed to ensure residents can lead stimulating and satisfying lives through conducting a range of activities that are tailored to the preferences and needs of each resident.

An article that was published in 2013 detailed a study on the importance of social interaction and a reduction in the risk of dementia.  The study went on over a 6-year period and involved 593 people over the age of 65.  All of these participants didn’t show any signs of dementia at the start of the study.

At Sydenham House, we understand the importance of a fully functioning social life for our residents. Trying out new activities and socialising can help residents to stay much healthier and remain in control of their own lives and routines. This can be massively significant at times of change that can be overwhelming and scary. Friendships and bonding are key elements in creating a stable and comforting environment in which residents feel respected and secured.

Activities that take place in care homes bring residents together to combat serious isolation and loneliness, offering them excitement and escapism instead.  Structured tasks, such as those offered by Sydenham House, limits the amount of time spent ruminating over negative thoughts. Add to this that recreational time with other people is a natural way to ward off feelings of depression for our elderly and you can understand why we take social life at Sydenham so seriously!

Activities are absolutely integral to care homes like ours who actively invest in the purpose and joy of our residents’ social lives.

My Life books:

We encourage our residents to produce a personalised life history in a My Life book with details of their memories of childhood, education and work, important relationships, and places with special meaning for them. This helps us plan the care we provide to cater for an individual’s specific emotional, intellectual, and social needs.

Time spent by Sydenham discovering an individual’s experiences and passions can help them to find activities which every resident enjoys.