Seven pupils from St Peter’s Catholic Primary school were invited to our nursing home on Friday 18th October to take part in the arts and craft activities planned by us. The visit was organised to promote healthy interactions between our residents and local children.
Research has shown that people living with dementia demonstrate a higher level of positive engagement when interacting with children.
St Peter’s primary school students joined our residents to create greetings cards and colouring pictures as well as reading and sharing stories with each other. The residents became more communicative and showed other positive behavioural changes while collaborating with the children.
Diana Hearn, Manager of Westacre Nursing Home, said:
“It was a pleasure to welcome the students of St Peter’s School to Westacre Nursing Home. Both the residents and the students thoroughly enjoyed the visit and you could see genuine bonds forming.”
Interaction with elderly people has a positive influence on children’s behaviour, including improved social development. The students were actively engaged and made a special effort to talk to each of our residents.
St Peter’s Catholic Primary School will now be returning to our home for regular visits. We hope that visits from the school will not only help to improve our residents’ condition but also help build a more united community in Winchester.
Mrs Woolgar, representative of St Peter’s Catholic Primary School said:
“We have been so blessed to now have a link with Westacre Care Home here in Winchester. It has been delightful to meet some of the residents and to start to create new friendships. After each session, the children have been bubbling with enthusiasm about future combined activities and the life-stories of their new friends.”
