‘I’ve never taken my children to a Care Home before!'
We know that you’re probably more used to hanging out in a soft play place than a Care Home and so taking your child into a Care Home might seem quite daunting! Hopefully this will help put your mind at ease, but if you have any other questions or concerns, please do get in touch as it’s very likely, you’re not the only person wondering!
The first thing to know is that your children will be treated like royalty!! From the receptionist to the Care staff, to the Residents … the moment you walk through the door with your little one EVERYONE’S eyes will light up!
Care Homes can sometimes seem a bit quiet but please don’t worry if your child is singing Baa Baa Black sheep at the top of their lungs, or even crying or having one of ‘those toddler moments’ – all the feedback is that the Residents LOVE the noise and chaos that comes with little ones… If nothing else, the peace and quiet when we leave is appreciated more!
Care Homes can also have quite a lot of unfamiliar ‘stuff’ … wheelchairs, walkers, even emergency pull chords! We try and keep anything hazardous out of the way but it’s always good to be vigilant and myself and the Care Home Staff will help to be extra pairs of eyes and hands as needed! Most children are very accepting of the environment but if your child has questions, that’s ok.
When you arrive you will be directed to the lounge we’re meeting in that day. You will soon discover that Care Homes are busy places too and so we often move around to accommodate other things that are going on. You’ll be told whether you are able to bring your buggy to the lounge, or you may be asked to leave it in the reception area if space doesn’t allow.
When you arrive at the lounge, I’ll be there to welcome you and your little ones. It’s really important to me that we get to know one another, so I’ll do my best to remember your names. However, I do also give you name labels. This really helps the Residents since many of them will struggle to remember your names without this little clue.
Some Residents get anxious if they don’t remember names, particularly if you know theirs!) I know little ones aren’t always keen to have a sticker on (they’d rather eat it!) so feel free to pop it on their back.
When you come in, please sit down around the edge of the play mat if you can. Since many of the Residents are in wheelchairs, we try to leave as much space as we can around the edges as we all settle in. Once everyone is in, please feel free to sit in the chairs dotted around to make chatting with the Residents easier.
We always start with our good morning song. Bongo the Butterfly will greet everyone by name. Please encourage your little ones to smile and wave at the Residents if they are able to but please don’t worry if they need a little longer to settle in. It’s quite natural for them to take a while to settle into the unfamiliar surroundings, especially on their first visit. We then move into our Fly Like a Butterfly song – it has lots of great actions so please feel free to join in. After that, it’s the Song Bag! This is a special bag with toys inside which represent different nursery rhymes. We encourage the older children to take the bag to one of the Residents so that they can pick something from the bag and the children bring it back to me.
From there we will move on to our musical instruments and shakers and make even more noise. We try and sing lots of songs with actions and encourage both the little ones and the older ones to join in.
After that, we often need a sit down and so it's a good time for a story (sometimes read by one of the residents). The Care Home also provide refreshments and this is the perfect time for them but please do help yourself at any time.
Then it's Mix and Mingle time! I get out a big box of toys and it's a great time for the children to play with the residents and for you to enjoy some adult conversation with the residents too!
During this time, there will also be an opportunity for your little one to do a craft with one of the residents. The simple, themed craft will be provided on lap trays to encourage interaction but only at the level people feel comfortable.
At about 10 minutes before the end of the session we will have a tidy up, get out the colourful scarves and sing a few of our favourite Scarf Songs. It's always lovely to see the Care Home lounges looking so colourful!
After that, it is the much anticipated Bubble Time! Out comes the bubble machine and we can all join in with a hearty rendition of "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles!" It's hard to know who enjoys this part the most!
Before we know it, it's time for our Goodbye song and everyone goes home with a sticker and a themed colouring sheet.