Community Life in Care Homes

There are many misconceptions about lifestyles within residential care homes in East Renfrewshire. Most care homes provide outstanding levels of person-centred care, which then enables residents to live happy, active lifestyles. Unfortunately these positive actions can be unnoticed by the local community. However, being more active within your local community will go a long way, not only improving care homes perceptions but it also shows members of the community the quality of care you’re providing to your residents.

Making Community, Social Connections

Care home residents, including those living with dementia have skills and knowledge which can benefit the local community as well as others. As long term memory tends to be better retained, skills based knowledge remains accessible, meaning people get the chance to share those assets, with then in turn increases their feelings of self worth, overall having a positive affect on their mental health and emotional well being.

Here at Mearns View, we have seen great rewards from connecting our residents with our local community, looking for ways which they can contribute their skills and knowledge to, as well as being able to develop meaningful relationships through social activities. As an example, our residents enjoyed a delightful outing to Mearns Kirk Parish Church, where they participated in the vibrant friendship group and savoured live entertainment over cups of tea and freshly baked cakes. This activity provided invaluable opportunities for residents to maintain connections with their local community.

The Power of Community

A sense of belonging goes beyond physical comfort; it provides emotional support and a feeling of being part of something bigger. When residents feel a sense of community within their home, they experience many benefits which have become increasingly important. Studies have shown that those who feel connected to others have lower rates of depression, improved cognitive functions and a higher quality of life. Creating a nurturing community within care homes helps prevent feelings of loneliness and isolation, which are extremely common in older adults.

Benefits of Care Home Gardens

Many care homes in Glasgow have gardens and outdoor spaces which are suitable for many occasions including community events and activities. Garden space is a great way to help involve residents, staff members, friends and family members as well as people from the community increase their social interaction. 

Social opportunities, raising awareness and addressing people’s well being can all be achieved within a safe and secure environment, it can encourage residents to get together and help plan events and activities alongside the coordinators within the home. When you include staff, residents, family members and other people within the community, the responsibilities become shared. These don’t need to be big events as it’s all about the quality of new and existing relationships within the community that matters. There are a lot of possibilities. For example, our care home in Newton Mearns has a gorgeous garden café which all of our residents can use, from unlimited hot drinks and some home cooked sweet treats, this space is perfect for catch ups either with family, other residents or the guests that get invited over. Having these areas within our home allows our residents to socialise, helping their overall well being, especially their mental health. 

Our garden café provides a tranquil and relaxing atmosphere which brings the outdoors in and because of this, it can be enjoyed all year round.

Benefits of Intergenerational Activities

There are multiple benefits from bringing children and older adults together and this is something we’re looking to explore further within Mearns View Care Home. Children can transform a quiet room into one filled with laughter, bringing a different, yet exciting energy into the home. With intergenerational activities older people can enjoy new conversations, sharing stories and experiences whilst the children get to benefit from having elders listen and share within their worlds. 

Intergenerational activities can be as simple as gardening together or arts and crafts sessions. Strong, long lasting, meaningful connections can grow between younger people and residents through activities like these.

Supporting Others

Friends, families, loved ones all can struggle to find help within their community, they can feel frustrated where to go for support or how best to support their loved one, or even someone they’re caring for. Most care homes will have links to health and social care professionals as well as their homes being a hub for support sessions. This could also create an opportunity for carers to see what a specific care home is like for future care of their loved ones.

Community Life Within Mearns View Care Home

If you’re looking for residential care in Glasgow, or any care for that matter such as Nursing, Dementia and Respite Care, Mearns View Care Home is a home for you. We’re a luxurious, new care home and we understand the importance of choosing the right home for you or your loved one. We want the transitioning process to be as stress free as possible therefore we’re able to provide a peace of mind for everyone due to our team of dedicated staff members, who always go above and beyond.

Our care home is warm and welcoming, we prioritise strong community involvement through a variety of activities. Some of our regular activities include collaborations with our local nurseries and going to local hotels for friendship meet ups. At Mearns View we’re passionate about fostering connections whilst supporting one another within our local community. Part of our home ethos is about standing with one another, especially during difficult times. We’re also lucky enough to have an open door policy where we extend warm invitations to future residents and their families to come and visit us. We’re here to help you determine whether Mearns View Care Home is the right care home for you, so please don’t hesitate to contact our compassionate team and one of us will happily get back to you as soon as possible.