Greenslades Nursing Home in Devon

Many of the nursing home’s residents also live with dementia. Ride On, a charity based in Exeter provides rickshaw rides around the local area. The rides bring such joy to the residents in helping to trigger happy memories of days gone by. They often ride past places they might have worked or where they grew up. Loved ones can enjoy the trips too and four members of the team are being trained to pilot the rickshaws so that our residents can go out more frequently.

Music and movement

Fun activities that inspire our residents to enjoy gentle exercise are very important, especially for our residents with nursing needs. Whether doing a spot of yoga to soothing music or shaking pompoms to a faster beat – these sessions bring smiles and laughter. Our gents – and ladies – particularly enjoy a game of armchair football and rugby, as well as skittles and French boules.

Greenslades is often filled with music. A gospel choir regularly comes in from a nearby church, as well as youngsters from the local school who sing for residents. At Christmas, the Bicycle Choir always visit for a special musical treat on two wheels.

Keeping residents connected with the local community is something that we always support them with. Students from the University of Exeter come along to do everything from reading with our residents to playing bingo. Meanwhile, students from Exeter College come to our home every week for work experience. Our residents love their visits and seeing so many fresh faces makes them feel young at heart.

Four-legged friends from The Donkey Sanctuary at Sidmouth in Devon often trot by for a visit. The charity brings its donkeys to Greenslades and other nursing homes to spend time with the residents, who absolutely adore them. We are also organising trips to the sanctuary in our minibus. Another popular visitor to Greenslades is Jamie. This gentle giant is a retired greyhound who comes along for some pet therapy.

Every week we hold four religious services at Greenslades held by different churches in the area. Exchange students from Devon’s Globe English Centre visit our care for two-week placements. Several residents relish the opportunity to learn about different countries and try their hand at a foreign language.

Meanwhile, for the residents who are more mobile, our team takes them for shopping trips into St Thomas on the outskirts of Exeter.

Our nursing and dementia suites of the home have recently undergone a transformation. There have been new windows and doors, decorating, new bathrooms and soft furnishings.

In our dementia suite, there is now special lighting which brightens and dims according to the natural light and our residents’ movements. This is very calming and promotes much better sleep at night. Greenslades has its own Namaste room with special features including the soothing sounds of water, music, fibre optic lights and peaceful images which are projected onto the walls. Residents can enjoy massages in this room or simply sit and relax.