What a fabulous time we had celebrating Halloween this week! Often, this time of year can make our residents feel scared or frightened, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Whilst Halloween is about dressing up in scary costumes and playing scary games for the majority of people, for those in elderly care it’s important to handle the occasion in a different way, sensitively and respectfully.
We encourage residents to get involved in Halloween-themed celebrations but in a positive, proactive, and relaxing way. For example, we played lots of Halloween games including ‘pin the fangs’ on Count Dracula, Halloween-inspired biscuit baking and icing as well as dressing up in a fun and non-scary way, and, of course, Halloween bingo.
Julie McMurrough, our manager at Holywell House, said: “The residents really enjoyed celebrating Halloween and we all got involved in dressing up to mark the occasion. In fact, the team each paid £2 to dress up in Halloween outfits, all funds which have gone into our residents’ pot that is used to take them out on special day trips or specific activities within the home. Halloween bingo was a lot of fun with laughter and smiles ringing around the room. It was fantastic to see!