Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year for most. Decking the halls, enjoying Christmas treats, and spending time with loved ones. And Christmas at Northern Healthcare is no different!
But how do we support those in more complex living situations, such as our residents?
A survey of over a thousand people from Rethink Mental Illness found that “77% of people said they feel lonely and isolated even when surrounded by their loved ones during Christmas.”
We aim to ensure that our residents feel supported, and included, during the festive season.
Here, we discuss the small things we do to ensure our residents feel supported at Northern Healthcare this Christmas.
This Christmas at Northern Healthcare, we have lots planned for our wonderful residents.
In this section, we’ll show you what our services have been up to and what they have planned for Christmas.
We started the festive season off with a bang, with our Christmas card competition! We invited residents to design a Christmas card that will be proudly displayed in Central Office and distributed across NHC.
Our winner was Alan Sung, from Helena’s House in Huyton, who designed a card that encompasses our values and message.
Our runner-up was Support Worker, Tia Reid, from Amy Johnson House in Hull who designed a beautiful freehand reindeer.
We also encourage our staff and residents to decorate their PROUD post boxes seasonally. They are used to recognise staff when they display our company values, each service is equipped with a values post box. Here are a few of our favourites from this Christmas, so far.
The fun doesn’t stop there!
Residents at Montgomery House, our supported living service in Radcliffe, took the opportunity to get ahead with their Christmas shopping. They took a trip to Cheshire Oaks with our OTSW, Debra, to look at the shops and decorations.
Christmas cookery is a top priority with several services donning their aprons over the festive period – we’ve seen baking, slow cooker hot chocolate, and buffets! Residents also have the opportunity to prepare their own Christmas dinners (with support), which always goes down a treat.
In addition to this, services will be hosting their own Christmas parties. At Adamson House, our supported living service in Partington, staff and residents will be treating team members to a festive breakfast. This is alongside a Christmas party with their own awards ceremony.
We spoke to two of our front-line team members about their plans for their residents.
“I have been supporting residents who use supported living settings like Merchants House for a long time now.
As Service Manager, I will be offering committed and comprehensive support and care for people using the service during the holiday season. I will also be encouraging the team to provide personalised support to help residents celebrate Christmas the way they want to. Offering meaningful activities is crucial for residents’ overall wellbeing.
Christmas can also be a lonely and emotionally challenging time for people, and I am dedicated to creating an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone feels valued and celebrated.”
“For many people Christmas is seen as a time of joy and festivity, at Milnshaw House we have created an environment where residents, their family members and staff can come together to enjoy decorations, music, and food together.
Staff at Milnshaw House aim to create an atmosphere which is full of warmth and happiness where our residents share their stories, memories, and open gifts. Milnshaw House has a strong sense of community, this is only strengthened over the festive period as everyone comes together to celebrate this special day, it is a time for reflection, gratitude, and appreciation for all.
As a team we know that there are a multitude of reasons why some of the residents we support may find Christmas a difficult time. We understand that Christmas may bring up unwelcome feelings or memories. We are dedicated to ensuring that all of our residents feel safe, included, and supported throughout this time.
Our team are here to provide emotional support, offer a kind and listening ear, and foster a warm and inclusive atmosphere where residents feel supported and cared for during this time. We aim to ensure that our residents have access to a wide range of activities, and religious and cultural celebrations to ensure that staff are supporting residents to uphold their traditions.
We already have lots of exciting things planned for the Christmas period such as decorating our service, Christmas Jumper/Christmas Pyjama Day, attending our local Christmas light switch-on and the Accrington Christmas markets. On the big day, we will be preparing and cooking a delicious Christmas dinner together – we look forward to sharing all of this, and more with you.”
Do you need some ideas for how to keep your spirits high, on a budget? Read our blog post here for a plethora of festive activities for you, your family and even your residents.
We will also consider that for several reasons, residents may not want to celebrate Christmas at all.
Christmas can have different meanings for different people and evoke different feelings. We will let them know that we understand that it can be a difficult time and that we’re there to support them through it. Accepting their feelings and providing comfort through the season may help them feel a little less alone.
Do you need additional support over the holiday season? Read our ‘12 tips to look after your mental health this Christmas time’ blog post.
Thank you for reading, we hope you enjoyed seeing what our services get up to at Northern Healthcare this Christmas.
Connect with us on social media to see what each service has planned. You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram.
At Northern Healthcare we work closely and collaboratively with our residents, their families and Adult Health and Social Care workers. This is to ensure that each person has a strong support network to help them through seasonal periods.
Read more about our support model and how we help cultivate a strong support network for our residents.
