Residents at a Wellington care home have been enjoying a reminiscence session and craft activities to celebrate how much they respect the nurses who support them - and nurses up and down the country - in anticipation of International Nurses’ Day on 12 May.

A couple of the residents living with dementia at Camelot House and Lodge shared their memories of working as nurses when they were younger.

Activities co-ordinator, Richard Dempslake, said: “We were keen to let all our nurses, past and present, know how much their work is appreciated.

“It was especially lovely when one of the ladies we support, Barbara Doubtfire, shared her memories of working as a registered nurse in a children’s intensive care unit in the late fifties. She got quite emotional.

“Her daughter tells us her mum was an inspiration and built a great relationship with patients and the families which she still has contact with.”

Richard and his team talked with their residents about the different kinds of experiences they’d had in their lives, while looking through pictures of nurses’ jobs including A&E, registered nurses, children's ward nurses and midwives.

The team supported residents to make - and wear – nurses’ hats, talked about equipment that nurses uses and had interesting discussions about their internal organs, including a little quiz on the subject.

The residents also had a fun session making colourful art pieces using syringes containing diluted food colouring.

With music playing an important role in the wellbeing of people living with dementia, Richard Dempslake also treated participants to a playlist that included the Casualty theme tune, Night Nurse and A Spoon Full of Sugar, which residents enjoyed singing along to.

Camelot House and Lodge is run by the award-winning Camelot Care group, which runs further dementia care homes in Bridgwater and Plymouth.