Designing our Lifestyle Program takes careful consideration, creative thinking and lots of input from residents.
Each month, our Lifestyle Team plans a wide range of activities and outings to cater for different interests, and also different abilities or conditions, including dementia.
Residents with advanced dementia and high-level care needs are encouraged to participate in the program as much as they like. All activities are modified to be dementia-appropriate, following best-practice research. Some of these modifications include using simple visual and verbal cues, keeping noise to a minimum, and using personal items to spark reminiscing.
One activity that’s very popular is the Painting Group where residents, including some from our dementia support household, gather to follow team leader, Michelle, paint a canvas. Art therapy is known to provide people living with dementia with enjoyment, a sense of accomplishment, and an opportunity for self-expression.
This is certainly the case for Mary who becomes so absorbed in painting, she finds it hard to stop!
“It’s wonderful to see how much joy painting gives to Mary,’ said Michelle. ‘She attends every session and I often have to remind her when it’s lunch time as she just wants to keep going. Her paintings are so detailed and she proudly displays them all in her room. I love that we can facilitate this interest for her.”
At Vincent Court, we love supporting residents to participate in activities they find enjoyable and meaningful.
To find out more about Vincent Court, call our friendly admissions team on (02) 6562 6062.