At Cams Ridge Care Home in Fareham, we strive to make sure that our residents live healthy and active lifestyles.
To help ensure that residents always have access to healthy food and snacks, staff at our Hampshire-based care home have introduced a brand-new soup and smoothie station for residents to enjoy.
Each day at the station, residents are greeted with a freshly cooked pot of soup. They will also find a range of different fruits, vegetables and other tasty ingredients. These are all perfect for making homemade smoothies.
Alongside the healthy snacks, residents are also provided with recipes and guidance on how to make their own healthy food. There are also lots of pictures to provide inspiration for new ideas, should any of the residents decide they want to experiment with different flavours.
Also found within the recipe booklets are tips and advice on a variety of different health issues. These include general health, weight gain and how to manage living with diabetes.
Although at first, many residents were unsure what to expect from the new healthy food station, after having a go at creating their own smoothies, it was clear that the residents could not hide their enjoyment at their new-found activity.
Pat, one of the residents of the care home in Fareham, said: “It was a bit daunting when we first heard about the soup and smoothie station as it was something we hadn’t done before, but once we had a go we all loved it!
“We all enjoy browsing through the recipes books and talking about which flavour we are going to make next.”
At Larchwood Care, we are always looking at new and innovative ways to involve our residents in activities that are stimulating and enjoyable.
Smoothie making is considered a great sensory activity. It involves many different colours, smells, sounds, textures and tastes. In addition, research has also shown that cooking is excellent for cognitive health and development.
Cooking and smoothie making can provide excellent stimulation for a number of different areas of the brain. With benefits for motion control and hand-eye coordination, multi-tasking and concentration skills, and short-term memory.
