Trevern residents enjoy reminiscence

At Trevern, our nursing home in Falmouth, we enjoy regular activities and events, such as parties and therapy sessions, as well as various interesting trips out to different locations in the nearby area.

Over the last few months, our residents at Trevern have visited several places, the highlights being the Flicker Donkey Sanctuary and the Flower Show at the Pavilion in Falmouth.

There are over 100 donkeys and horses at the Flicker Donkey Sanctuary, all of which have been rescued from abuse, neglect and abandonment.

“It was wonderful to see how much the animals meant to them and to hear about the memories they brought back. We are trying to bring more animals into contact with the people living here, as, along with music, they have a way of reaching the deeper part of someone, bringing back the person hidden by their illness.”
Carina Stone, carer at Trevern

Our staff often invite various trained animals into Trevern, including ducklings, giant rabbits and even donkeys from the Flicker Donkey Sanctuary.

Many of the residents have a wonderful time stroking and petting the animals, who can be calming and soft to touch. It can also remind them of their younger days, especially if they worked on farms or kept animals themselves.

Animal therapy can be particularly beneficial for people who struggle to communicate, as it can provide a social interaction that requires no words.

Another helpful sensory experience can be smelling flowers. It can bring back memories and provide a relaxed and beautiful environment for residents to enjoy.

Two of our ladies from Trevern thoroughly enjoyed an impromptu trip to the Flower Show at the Pavilion, where they both enjoyed bumping into people they knew from the area, highlighting the importance of keeping connections with the local community. While enjoying the flowers, they also liked stopping to reminisce.

Reminiscence is an important part of quality care, especially for people who live with dementia, and our staff at Trevern do their best to help spark memories for residents.

Earlier in the year, staff and residents also celebrated Dame Vera Lynn’s 100^th birthday with a tea party in her honour. The lounge was packed with residents, relatives and friends, enjoying a sing-along by local singer Kelly Carswell, who sang a mix of songs from Dame Vera Lynn and other favourites from the era.

“Everyone loved her warm personality and great vocals. Her songs caught the attention even of those who have the most difficulty communicating.”
Carina Stone, carer at Trevern

At Cornwall Care, the power of music is well known; across each of our 16 care and nursing homes, we regularly enjoy musical entertainment and therapy sessions. We see a clear benefit to our residents. Whether it helps someone to communicate, brings back memories or simply gets feet tapping, music can have numerous positive effects for people of all ages and with various conditions.

We are committed to providing various therapeutic activities to help our residents communicate and reminisce.

Find out more about Trevern and the therapies that we provide here.