Residents in Lichfield came together to share memories of their youth during a special occasion they called Hug Day.
Childhood memories can be the strongest – and residents at Bowbrook Care Home were encouraged to step back into the past with a special day of reminiscing.
The event included a “full English” and pancake breakfast. While designed with dementia patients in mind, many residents thoroughly enjoyed talking about their past, and comparing their everyday life now with days gone by.
The team and residents wore pyjamas to create a comforting atmosphere, with photographs used as visual prompts. Many of those present vividly recalled their everyday lives in the 1950s, including having a tin bath and using a copper boiler to heat water.
Residents enjoyed looking at images of bedrooms, along with quilted blankets and vintage teddy bears. Aesop’s Fables and Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree were read aloud, prompting a lively discussion of the stories read to them by their own parents, along with their childhood bedtime routine and the routines they created with their own children. There was lots of conversation about the difference between then and now.
“This event really showed the power of long-term memory”, said Bowbrook manager Lucie Goodall. “Emotional memory often remains after short-term memory fades. It was wonderful to hear some of our patients with dementia talking about vivid memories from their early life. Often one resident would talk about an experience – like sharing a sibling’s bathwater – and there would be lots of laughter as people said that they had done that too. Some residents could remember childhood poems word for word. It was very special.”
Residents talked about being children during World War Two, including preparing for air raids every night as they were getting ready for bed.
The positive effects of the day have continued to be felt in the home, with social connections and friendships formed over shared memories. The happiness caused by “hug day” was noticed across the home for days afterwards.
Hugging is known to lower stress levels and improve emotional regulation. It also is a form of communication for patients who are now unable to speak. Care is always taken to ensure all touch is welcome and for other patients, holding hands sends the same calm, kind message.
Deep thought went into the planning and organisation of the day, including having trauma-informed support available for wartime memories and recollections of bereavement. The storytelling and reliving of familiar routines supports cognitive function for residents with memory loss.
Bowbrook Care Home provides care for mild, moderate and advanced dementia, as well as palliative, respite and convalescent care. Situated at Fradley in Lichfield, it provides care for 90 residents. Visitors are welcomed at any time, and residents are able to bring their pets by arrangement. For more details, contact our friendly team on 01543 398 510
