Six residents from Preston Glades Care Home in Ribbleton spent an evening at the Funny Girls drag show in Blackpool, a night out they chose themselves.
The idea came up at a resident meeting. When the team asked what everyone would like to do next, one resident suggested Funny Girls, and the rest of the group were quickly on board.
Bill, Enid, Sandra, Carol, Lillian and Miriam all dressed up for the occasion, with Sandra buying a new outfit from M&S for the night. Seven team members went along with them in their own time.
Over glasses of wine and beer, the group watched a show that turned out to be a little bolder than they had expected, and Bill said he “could not believe his eyes”. Afterwards, the performers came out to meet the residents and have photos taken together.
It was 11:30pm by the time everyone got home. They were sleepy, but every one of them said the night was worth it. Bill said he will never forget it, and Carol said she loved every minute.
Tracey, Home Manager, said: “Honestly, it was a fantastic night. The residents loved it and the team members were great. When our residents ask for something, we want to say yes wherever we can.”
Lindsey, Wellbeing Lead, said: “What I noticed most was how much the residents were enjoying each other’s company. They were laughing together from start to finish. Nights like this give them something to look forward to and something to talk about for weeks afterwards.”
Phoenix, one of the performers, said: “Thank you so much for coming, it was so nice meeting you all. We are so glad you all had a great time.”
David, whose mother lives at the home, said: “It was great to see the residents enjoying themselves, and it was lovely to see Mum smiling. Thank you to all the staff who went along and gave their own time to make sure the residents had an unforgettable night out.”
Preston Glades is one of five Each Other Care homes in Lancashire. Across the group, team members get to know what matters to each resident and work to make their wishes happen, and Each Other Care is nationally recognised for its wellbeing programme.