Family members (residents) from Edenmore Nursing Home recently enjoyed an outing to St. John’s Garden Centre in Ashford, with the trip ending in a new, blossoming friendship.
Lillian and Shirely, who live at Edenmore, were supported by team members Amber and Emma to take a little trip to the garden centre and peruse the plants, trinkets and clothing section.
The two ladies live on different floors (known as streets in the home) at Edenmore, as the home is organised into smaller households to support the different nursing and care needs of the people living there.
Although spending time in different streets for different activities or events is encouraged, some family members prefer to stay in their own households, so may not always socialise with people living in different parts of the home.
Outings like these give family members the chance to stay connected with the local community, while spending time with others who share their interests, much like heading out with a neighbour or friend when living at home.
The outing gave Lillian and Shirley the chance to bond over their interest in gardening, with both sharing a particular love for roses. They stopped to smell a few of the flowers and reminisced about the kinds of roses they had each had in their own gardens.
Team member Emma shared about the outing, ‘They were non-stop chatting away to one another throughout, asking one another's ages and where they used to live. It was so lovely to watch them natter about their lives.’
The team at the garden centre were very helpful and even allowed the ladies to pull up a few of the display chairs so they could all have a quick sit down and chat before setting off again to look around at the clothing section (at Lilians request!)
At the end of their outing, Shirley and Lillian arranged to meet in Lillian’s household, Torrs, the following day for coffee and a chat.
Emma added, ‘It was such a beautiful moment. They gave one another a kiss on the cheek and a cuddle and said how lovely it was to have made a new friend!’
The next morning, Shirley was supported upstairs at 11am as planned and the two spent a few hours chatting before sharing lunch together too.
Since then, they have also enjoyed a special afternoon tea prepared by the kitchen team in Shirley’s household, The Quays, where they discussed the possibility of living on the same street with the team! Something the home is now looking into.
Edenmore Nursing Home offers 24-hour nursing and residential care by the North Devon coast. To learn more about life at Edenmore, visit www.edenmorenursinghome.com
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