Growing Together at Dunniwood Lodge Care Home

Welcome to our shared home community in Doncaster where residents collaborate and inspire each other each day to grow. Where everyone is encouraged to have a voice in decisions and take part in meaningful conversations to directly and positively impact life here at Dunniwood Lodge. This includes taking the lead on planning activities and events and being involved in regular conversations around all aspects of daily life, from menu changes and furniture upgrades to landscaping, live entertainment and everything in-between.

Mary, Deanna, Christine, Shirley and Cynthia meet with Wellbeing Lead Belinda each month to share their ideas. This newly formed “Resident Committee” plan ahead and talk about what matters to them. This is an opportunity to connect, inspire and make a real difference to their home and together they’re helping to shape the wonderful community spirit at Dunniwood Lodge.

The ladies sit down with Belinda every month to discuss plans.

The resident committee have been busy, recently recommending booking an ABBA tribute act, suggesting a vegetable patch and contributing to plans for this year’s Spring Fair. They also bring their ideas into the Resident and Family meetings held throughout the year at the care home in Bessacarr.

Resident Mary is never without her own printed versions of our upcoming event posters to share with visitors to the home and brings her little black book to every meeting, brimming with ideas the ladies have gathered through discussions and chats with other residents throughout the month. The group is always thinking about how to include others, particularly those living with dementia, from planning outing times that suit everyone, to sharing ideas that reflect all everyone’s needs.

“It means a lot seeing the impact it’s having,” said Belinda. “It gives people a voice and you can see how much that matters.” 

Belinda has also been asking residents about their wishes, fulfilling Each Other Care’s purpose of caring for people in a way that contributes to a meaningful life. Goal-setting and raising aspirations is integral to the wellbeing programme.

These conversations have led to the start of a Resident Wish List. Deanna said she’d love to meet Elvis, so they invited Elvis in. We’ve had some great suggestions already and look forward to bringing more of them to life over the coming months. 

The Resident Committee and Wish List are just two examples of how the team at Dunniwood Lodge Care Home in Doncaster are caring in a way that contributes to a meaningful life, by helping residents stay involved, feel heard and continue doing the things they enjoy.

To keep up with what’s happening at Dunniwood Lodge, you can follow us on Facebook here.