This month I want to talk about something close to my heart; the older folks in our lives.
I work at a care home filled with amazing elders in various stages of ageing, facing the last phase of their lives and I entertain them to the best of my ability in my role as activities coordinator.

Many have wonderful families who visit regularly, bringing gifts, news, laughter and cuddles, but many have no relatives to care for them and live their lives solely in the company of other residents and staff.

Now, my children were not blessed with grandparents at close quarters, and we have not had elders in our lives, which is not an unusual story.

Either grandparents have passed on, live too far away or are simply not part of the family unit. I feel that our children can miss out on building important relationships with those elders, which is sad.

I was pondering on my work and family when I realised that there is a natural answer to both problems and one you may be interested in: volunteering at a local care home. This could be simply a visit to sit and chat, share a cup of tea and build a relationship with residents. Perhaps bring the children along to play, dance, sing and show off to their new surrogate ‘grannies.’

Or maybe you have skills such as baking, knitting, gardening or arts and crafts that you would be happy to share on a voluntary basis, even if only once a month for a few hours.

Uplifting and enjoyable

If you have a little time on your hands and would like to spend some time in company rather than on your own, why not reach out to a local care home? Just get in touch and ask how you can get involved. Believe me, you will be made to feel welcome and, after filling in a few forms to register as a volunteer (GDPR and CRB) to ensure everyone is kept safe, you could find yourself embarking on a satisfying, uplifting and enjoyable new part of your life.

Consider visiting at the weekend with the kids to share your adventures, stories, successes and discoveries, and see how residents brighten up as you arrive, only too happy to chat and tell you their stories.

If you have no grandparents in the family and feel you would benefit from becoming part of a local community, this could be a great solution. I know I would love to welcome you to chat and connect with my residents, and other activities coordinators will feel the same way.
This September, consider expanding your family in a slightly unusual way and watch your heart grow.