A care home might be just a workplace for staff, but it’s home for residents, and it should feel like it – especially at Christmas. Here is UK Care Week’s guide to making sure residents (and staff) feel the festive cheer this winter.

Having to work over the Christmas period can be one of the undeniable drawbacks of a career in care. With many care workers on low wages and perhaps having care duties at home too, it can be a stressful time of year when you just want to get through your shifts.

Therefore, injecting a bit of Christmas fun into the workplace can not only brighten things up for staff, but residents (and prospective residents and their families) will appreciate the efforts to no end. For dementia residents especially, living in a home adorned with decorations and serving festive fare at mealtimes can work wonders, evoking memories of years gone by.

To that end, we have collated a handy guide to ensuring your home could convert even the most Scrooge-like of visitors this Christmas, all without breaking the bank.

Festive food

Where better to start than with the food you offer over the festive period?

Your efforts in the kitchen can start well before the big day, but fear not – you don’t have to prepare a full roast dinner every day of December.

Care home food supplier Bidfood suggests recipes as simple as an apple and cinnamon tea. The company reveals on its website: “Simply place lemons, cinnamon, honey, apples, a small orange and water into a pan. Then bring it to the boil and simmer for thirty minutes. Strain and serve it warm in a mug.”

This recipe has a host of benefits, including hydration, keeping residents warm, a whole host of vitamins, and will fill the home with the to-die-for smell of apples and cinnamon.

Involve residents

If your home is properly equipped, residents can also get involved in the kitchen too. Perhaps bake some mince pies. If the home doesn’t have kitchen facilities for residents, invite them to construct Christingles, or else bake some gingerbread which they can decorate while watching their favourite festive film.

Aside from food, residents can enjoy making decorations too. From the Christingles above to wreaths, paper snowflakes, pinecone ornaments or salt dough shapes, if every resident has their own hand-made decoration on the tree it will boost feelings of togetherness and accomplishment in the home, all while making the process more fun for staff too.

Person Centred Software suggests asking residents for their ideas – making the kinds of decorations they may have in the past can evoke positive memories. The tech supplier also recommends making cards with residents to send to relatives and friends, maintaining their social connections outside the home.

Lighting

An underrated way to spruce up any space is through the right lighting, and a few cheap sets of fairy lights bought on Amazon or your local pound shop can work wonders. And remember: they don’t all have to go on the tree.

Make sure to buy ones with ‘warm lighting’ bulbs to add a cozy, festive feel to communal areas. Candles might go against health and safety, but a few sets of fairy lights will be just as effective.

Venture out of the home

There will be plenty going on in the local community around Christmas, a lot of which can be free.

Software supplier Access Group advises: “When gazing at Christmas lights, the feel-good chemical dopamine is released, which is why people feel happy after looking at them. If your care service has access to a bus or van, then you should consider taking your service-users on a Christmas lights tour.

“This could be to local towns or villages that have put up a display in the streets, to other care homes or decorated public spaces such as town halls, shopping centres or Christmas markets.”

If your home has any notable residents – perhaps veterans, or those who have passed the 100 mark — you could even suggest to the local council that they be the one to switch on the town’s lights this year.

Invite the community

Chances are, there are a lot of Christmas-related activities already organised in your care home’s local area, but that doesn’t mean you can’t host your own events too.

Ashberry Care Homes recommends the following ideas:

• Visits from local school choirs
• Church group performances
• Community Christmas fairs
• Intergenerational craft sessions
• Local volunteer visits

The company writes on its website: “Christmas provides wonderful opportunities for strengthening bonds between care homes and their local communities. These connections help residents feel part of the wider festive celebrations while bringing fresh energy and excitement into the home.”

Music and TV

One of the easiest ways to inject a bit of Christmas spirit into the home, and one you undoubtedly already do, is to put festive films and music on for residents.

However, the chances are, if you just turn on BBC One or BBC Radio One, it won’t be to residents’ taste. After all, they likely don’t have fond memories of Mrs Brown’s Boys or Mariah Carey.

Ask residents for their favourites from years gone by, or opt for music playlists which focus on the classics. This will not only be more enjoyable listening or watching for them, but will help them feel more involved in the decisions in their life.

Another thing to be aware of is volume. On the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Support Forum, one family member mentions that their father’s experience of Christmas in care homes was that the music was always too loud. They comment: “When my dad was alive, he and a few other patients didn't seem to like the loudness of the music. This year, I have even had another relative say they feel reluctant to donate to sponsored activities if they think the money is going to be spent on loud music!”

Again, check in with residents about the volume of the music - perhaps position speakers closer to those who like it louder, and make sure it does not rise above conversation levels, especially for dementia residents who can more easily become overstimulated.

Check in with residents

And following on from that last point, it is worth remembering that routine and familiarity are often the most comforting things to care home residents, so don’t try to reinvent the wheel when it comes to your Christmas celebrations.

Ashberry Care Homes says: “While Christmas brings joy and celebration, it can also stir complex emotions, particularly for those spending their first Christmas in a care home. Understanding and supporting residents' emotional needs during this time is crucial for ensuring the season remains positive and uplifting.”

The group suggests:

• Maintaining familiar routines
• Providing quiet spaces
• Offering one-to-one support
• Remembering lost loved ones
• Celebrating personal traditions

Listening to what residents say and taking note of how they feel is key to ensuring everyone gets the most out of this Christmas.