Strachan House Care Home resident, Bill Lathe had dreamed of being able to garden again so staffed teamed up with a local boy Struan Dow who helped Bill out with his wish to make it come true.
Bill has lived at Strachan House for several years and is oved by staff and residents alike. Staff and Struan were delighted to be a part of making his dream come true, as they knew how much it meant to him and they all wanted to be there to see the smile on Bills face.
Staff first found out about Bills wish through their active activities program. Mandy, Head of Activities, said “Bill has always had a love of gardening and when we were a contacted about a local boy Struan needing to complete his JASS project it made sense to pair the two up by surprising Bill.”
JASS is the junior programme for the Duke of Edinburgh awards and Struan needed to undertake his silver award. This meant he was tasked with having to complete a 12 hour project. A student in class 6HD at Erskine Stewart Melville School, meant that Struan gave up his Easter break to work on the project.
He said: “When I heard of Bill’s wish I knew I could combine my project with his wish, so I decided to spring into action and build Bill an accessible herb garden box and present it to him within the gardens at Strachan House.
“I was so happy to see Bill’s face and was so happy to be part of something special for him. To know that my herb box will be appreciated and go to good use is awesome!”
Mandy Head of Activities added “What and amazing young lad Struan is and he should be proud of his hard work. Bill is over the moon!”
In response to this wonderful surprise, Bill said: “I was overwhelmed. It is such an amazing feeling to know that the youngsters still look out for us and care so much.
“I’m really grateful to Struan and the team for making my wish come true. I can’t wait to get planting my herbs for the use in the kitchen”
Gordon Philp, General Manager at the home, said: “We want everyone we care for to know how important they are to us here at Strachan House. It was so nice to see how happy Bill was and the staff loved being a part of this as well.”
Strachan House care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals.
Strachan House provides residential care, nursing care and dementia care for 83 residents from respite care to long term stays.
Over-65s revealed to play a pivotal role in society, caring for family members, volunteering in communities, mentoring and providing support in the lives of younger people new report says
Edwards Lifesciences’ ‘Unifying Generations’ report recommends to transform perceptions of the 3rd generation, encourage mentoring schemes and improve digital skills of older people
Over-65s play a pivotal role in Scottish society and in the lives of younger people by volunteering, mentoring, providing care, and giving financial contributions according to a new report Unifying Generations: Building the Pathway to Intergenerational Solidarity’ from Edwards Lifesciences.
The report, based on a survey of 2,100 people across the UK, including Scotland, calls for a change in perceptions of the ‘3rd generation’ and greater recognition of their role as ‘unifiers’ between generations.
“I have been a volunteer for over 35 years. I started with the scouts and now run Volunteering Matters’ RSVP Forth Valley programme which encourages older people to use their experience to help the local community in the Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire areas,” said Rosemary Fletcher, 73.
“Helping others is what motivates me and my fellow volunteers to get up every day. It is vital to us. When the Covid lockdown happened and we older people had to isolate, it was a shock. I needed to do something, to contribute in my own way.
“To help our local GPs cope with the number of visits, I brought together senior colleagues alongside younger volunteers including some from my scout network who wanted to study medicine. They were able to support the local practitioners in their daily tasks. But I didn’t want to stop there, there was so much to do.
“I decided to support Catalyst, a charity based in Stockton-on-Tees, carrying out a survey of how local charitable organisations were coping during lockdown making up to 12 video calls a day,” continued Rosemary, who received the ultimate recognition of an MBE in the New Year Honours 2021.
In contrast to existing perceptions, the survey results highlighted the significant social contributions of the 3rd generation.
In turn, younger Scots value the role of the older generation in their lives. Seventy-two percent (72%) of those aged 18-40 said the support from over-65s was very important or somewhat important.i
“New mentoring schemes will help our younger people to make greater strides educationally and vocationally, while digital training for older people will reduce isolation and keep family and communities much closer. There is so much to be gained by bringing our generations closer together.”
Many benefits of intergenerational interactions were also highlighted in the report. According to younger people in Scotland, listening and giving advice (53%) is the most valuable skill older people can offer them.i This is higher than the UK average of 45%.
This was followed by companionship/friendship (47%), sharing historical or cultural knowledge (42%), and mental and emotional well-being (34%). Additionally, 32% of younger Scots believe that mentoring or educational schemes provided by national or local government would help them to do more with older generations. The older generation recognise the need to improve its digital skills with 37% saying they would most like to learn technology and digital media from younger people.
One of the most positive themes was the willingness to improve intergenerational interactions. Eighty-two percent (82%) of people of all ages thought closer relations between generations are a good thing, which is higher than the UK average of 76%.
In addition, close to half (49%) had a friend of a different generation and 42% were open to having one.Results from the survey also cited the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the main barriers to closer relations between age groups, with 32% of respondents believing that younger and older people were further apart since the pandemic and 28% saying they now spent less time with someone of a different generation. Now is the time to recover.
The report makes three recommendations to ensure that the UK continues to move towards a more unified society: campaigns to transform perceptions of the value of senior people and their interactions with younger generations, greater opportunities for mentoring and knowledge sharing from older to younger generations; and schemes that help senior people interact more in the digital realm.
“With people living longer and healthier lives, it is important to transform perceptions about the older generation,” noted Nick Walker, Country Senior Director, Edwards Lifesciences UK and Ireland.
“The Unifying Generations report sheds light on the pivotal social and economic contribution of the senior population and demonstrates the importance of protecting their health and well-being.”
The report will be launched today at a Parliamentary event hosted by Rachael Maskell MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Ageing and Older People and Derek Thomas MP.
To learn more and download the full report, please visit:
Relationships built at ‘Fun Day’ as home hosts students from Fettes College
A partnership between one of Edinburgh’s most up-market care homes and a prestigious local school sees residents and students uniting for a fun day of intergenerational interaction.
14 students, aged 16-17, from Fettes College visited Cramond Residence as volunteers, where they were able to form connections with the residents across various activities taking place on each floor of the home, including arts and crafts, nail painting and gentle exercise classes.
The event was organised as an opportunity for the school and care home to come together and build relationships that are beneficial for both residents and students.
Craigleith House Coordinator at Fettes College, Eileen Crawford, said: “The fun day was a huge success and we would like to thank Cramond Residence for giving the students a very enjoyable trip and a new learning experience – it was lovely to see bonds formed.
“At Fettes, we want to instil the importance of our students engaging with the community in a positive way and this fun day was the perfect opportunity. The students had a great time and many of them have expressed their desire in making a trip to Cramond a monthly activity.
“There is so much that the younger generation can learn from the older – their world experience is invaluable to our young people taking the first steps in their own lives.
“This event marked the start of a new partnership between Fettes and Cramond, and some students will continue volunteering at the home for their Duke of Edinburgh awards.”
Cramond Residence prides itself on the vast array of exciting activities that its residents can take part in and enjoy, with the Fettes College Fun Day being one of the latest additions to the home’s bustling monthly program.
Designed to promote independent living and socialisation, the fun day saw residents at the home exchanging vibrant life stories with the students while basking outside in the sun, or indulging in a spot of pampering, painting and games.
Client Liaison Manager at Cramond Residence, Christian Daraio, said: “It was an incredible day for everyone involved and the students put a huge smile on the residents’ faces.
“Connecting with the wider community helps eliminate the feelings of isolation that are common in the older generation.
“These events are important for fostering intergenerational engagement that play such a big role in the positive mental health of our residents. We are looking forward to welcoming the students back for more volunteering at the home.”
Cramond Residence, launched in 2018, has provided small-group living for up to 74 residents in nine luxuriously-appointed accommodation with the highest quality of care.
The highly-trained team organises exciting activities and excursions for their residents and offer specialised and individually tailored care in respite, recuperation and dementia care provision.
The care and support provided is based on a detailed personal care plan, which is continually assessed and revised by health care professionals and other experts to ensure that the best possible care is being delivered.
The luxury home will continue to channel its efforts into improving the quality of life for its residents by introducing more innovative workshops and ideas.
To find out more about Cramond Residence, call 0131 341 4037 or visit:
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