There’s always something going on at Green Tree Court to help our residents enjoy life to the full. From cookery workshops to regular visits from our local pre-school, we organise a diverse range of things to do to add a renewed sense of purpose to every day. There are some activities that almost all our residents will look forward to taking part in. But we also plan individual activities that we know will mean something extra special to just one or two residents. For example, we recently arranged a day trip to The Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton.

“I realised that a small group of men living at Green Tree Court had a real passion for planes and engineering,” commented Merle Weiner, Head of Activities. “So what better place to go to get up close to some of the most iconic planes of all time than a trip to Yeovilton? Supported by other staff members, including David, our Head of Dementia Care, we were able to enjoy a fabulous day out. As well as reliving memories from the past, we’ve created new memories too, and I know it’s a trip we’ll be talking about for many weeks to come.

“Part of our truly personalised approach to care at Green Tree Court means taking the time to understand what our residents are interested in. And it’s my task to enable our residents to continue enjoying those interests, whatever we need to do to achieve that. That way we can help our residents to continue enjoying every day as fully as possible whatever potential physical or cognitive barriers there may be.”

The National Institute on Ageing says: “People who engage in meaningful activities, like volunteering or hobbies, say they feel happier and healthier. Learning new skills may improve your thinking ability, too. For example, one study found that older adults who learned quilting or digital photography had more memory improvement than those who only socialised or did less cognitively demanding activities.”

The Alzheimer’s Society also highlight many health and wellbeing benefits of getting out and about to do a favourite activity or try something new. This includes:

• Improving cognition – recent studies have shown that exercise may improve memory and slow down mental decline
• Providing opportunities for social interaction and reducing the feeling of isolation
• Reducing the risk of falls by improving strength and balance
• Improving confidence
• Increasing self-esteem
• Improving mood
• Improving sleep