Residents relish woolly craft activities
An appeal for spare balls of wool, made to families with loved ones in a Wellington dementia care home, has resulted in the arrival of a small woolly mountain - which is all being put to good use.
Following a very popular animal therapy visit by a trio of spring lambs earlier in the year, the activities team at Camelot House and Lodge requested the wool to enable them to continue with the theme of ‘all things woolly’ by organising some related craft activities.
Activities organiser, Richard Dempslake, said: “We are holding ‘wool art’ classes which are proving a great hit both with those who have been used to using wool for knitting, and with those who don’t usually handle it.
“The families of residents have been very generous in donating materials and have also provided some peg looming equipment.
“We have a range of residents with some form of dementia so I thought it was important to have a variety of wool-related activities.
“The first class involved making pom poms, doing some cross-stitching, tying and knotting, peg looming and plaiting wool.
“We watched videos about cross-stitching and peg looming, and then supported residents to do whatever activities they fancied trying.
“With dementia everyone’s needs are different, but we seem to have succeeded in providing something that appealed to everyone. Beside the craft activities, residents with sensory loss enjoyed touching and feeling the different textured wool and our former farmer residents enjoyed seeing the different sheep’s wool we were using.
“When they’re as engaged and happy as they were with this activity, we know we’re doing a good job of helping them live their best lives.”
Camelot House and Lodge is run by award-winning care provider Camelot Care. The organisation also runs homes in Bridgwater, Yeovil and Plymouth see www.camelotcare.co.uk
