What a Breath of Fresh Air! » Housing » 24dash.com

Residents and staff at a Sanctuary Care home are celebrating after beating around 500 entries to win second place in the NAPA Breath of Fresh Air competition.

NAPA, The National Association for Providers of Activities for Older People, invited homes and sheltered schemes to think about creative ways to bring fresh air to older residents.

Ashley House in Bordon, Hampshire, had a week of fun activities and won £250 cash and £500 worth of vouchers to buy garden furniture.

The home is run by Sanctuary Care, a subsidiary of leading UK housing provider Sanctuary Group.

Residents often talked about spending a day at the sea, but it was impossible to take all 36 of them to the beach, so the beach came to them!

Margaret Powell, the homes manager and activities organiser Stella Charman contacted local builder Mosley Green, who donated two tonnes of sand, while mobile farm Millers Ark Animals brought donkeys Annie and Dolly along!

Residents helped paint a backdrop of the sea and children from Weyford Junior School built sandcastles. There was also Punch and Judy show and candyfloss and ice cream.

Margaret said: "There were buckets, spades, a boat, windbreaker and colourful windmills blowing in the breeze. There was lots of laughter and it was wonderfully infectious!"

Other activities:

When Harry Aldridge came to Ashley House he desperately missed his vegetable patch, so staff decided to create one.

Much to Harrys delight Dave Tull, a volunteer from nearby St Marks Church helped with the digging, while Whitehill Stables provided manure.

Ivy Muslebrook loved nature and the smell of flowers but was very poorly, so staff picked roses and honeysuckle so they could fill her room with the smell of their perfume. They also opened her windows to let the sun shine in and played bird music.

Ivy died in the early hours, with her son by her side.

Margaret said: It was wonderful to think we were able to bring Ivy a breath of fresh air before she slipped peacefully away.

Elisabeth Thomas loved the smell of washing that had dried outside, so staff put up a low washing line for wheelchair bound residents to use.

Another resident, Mary Gardner showed housekeeper Maggie Keddle how to wash clothes the old fashioned way, with soap and a wash board, before pegging it out to dry.

Now every Monday the staff and residents enjoy washing clothes the old fashioned way.

Margaret said: Who would have thought such a simple idea could bring so much pleasure.