The Laurels Residential and Nursing Home in Derby

We also have a group of volunteers who are relatives. They join in with activities and help to take residents from the residential and nursing home to events in Spondon and the wider Derby area. Our residents also love taking part in outings to places like local National Trust properties and wildlife parks. They are fantastic support if we are opening the care home to the wider community, supporting with fundraising and celebratory events.

Our close links with Derby College means we always have a group of enthusiastic young social care students who volunteer in our home. Our residents absolutely adore spending time with them, taking part in activities.

We hold regular residents’ meetings, to which their loved ones are invited, as well as relatives’ meetings. They play a vital role in giving feedback on every aspect of life in the home, from our menus to how well we support our residents to remain integrated with the wider community.

Special days made even more special

The activities we do with our residents are very special. This Mother’s Day the entire team, from both the residential and nursing suites in the home, raided charity shops across Derby and got our sewing kits out to make 1940s tea maids outfits. On the big day, we dressed in aprons and headdresses and served our ladies and their loved ones a traditional cream tea. We presented them with beautiful bouquets and made it a magical day to remember.

For our gents, Father’s Day saw The Laurels transformed into Ye Olde Laurel Bush! There were pub games, traditional pub food and live music.

For our residents living with dementia, we regularly attend special dementia-friendly cinema screenings and a dementia café at The Derby Squad. This gives residents the chance to spend time with people outside the home.

The team at The Laurels are its greatest asset and do so much to enrich our residents’ lives. We recently embarked on a 22-mile walk to raise money to put towards buying an experience table for our residents living with dementia called a Magic Table. Projecting light games onto a flat surface, the table is an amazing piece of technology which encourages residents to engage with one another through very simple but effective games.

Our residents love to take part in trips outside their residential and nursing home. This summer they will enjoy a boating excursion on The Crusader. This boat has been specially adapted by St John’s Ambulance to make it suitable for wheelchairs.