Residents at Kingsmead care home in Swindon are excited to be able to start enjoying all the benefits of swimming thanks to their new activity co-ordinator bringing plans to fruition.
Lisa Stevenson started working at the Wiltshire care home a few weeks ago and quickly discovered that one of the residents – Pat Sanders – was very keen to start swimming again and already had a doctor’s consent form.
“Pat talked daily about her love for swimming and had been having daily baths as she finds the water very soothing, “ said Lisa.
Pat has been a resident at Kingsmead care home since March 2022. She said her Mum was swimming in the river one day and told her to stand at the side with her younger brother as he was in a pram. Pat, who was only three at the time, decided to go into the water hanging on to her dog’s tail. After that her mum taught her how to swim and it is something she has loved her whole life going on to swim competitively for her county team when she was older.
“I have experience of taking people swimming regularly and was confident and able to take Pat,” said Lisa.
“We went to a specialist hydrotherapy pool which is great for so many therapies, and works wonders on aches, pains and arthritis. It is fully equipped with a chair lift and a hoist so I aim to take more residents, even residents who are wheelchair bound.
“Swimming gives residents who not be very mobile a feeling of weightlessness and a freedom for their legs they may not have felt for some time.
“We are hoping to link with Ladymead, our sister care home which is also in Swindon, to allow more residents to benefit as we can have the whole pool.”
Pat said she felt a little nervous on the first visit but was reassured with the slow decline steps into the water and the handrails going all around the pool. She quickly got her confidence, used a swimming noodle and then started swimming independently.
“As soon as we got out of the pool she said to me can we come again?, “ said Lisa. “Pat is keen to improve and said she will be better next time and even better again the time after that.”
Water based exercise like swimming has many benefits for older people including –
- Helps to prevent falls and improve balance.
- Good for cardiovascular health
- Can help to improve flexibility and muscle tone
- Helps with weight management
- Mental health benefits including improved mood and reduced anxiety
- Helps relieve the pain and stiffness from conditions such as arthritis
Kingsmead, in Prospect Place, Swindon, is a traditional care home with an excellent reputation in the area for high quality care. The home provides residential, respite and nursing dementia care.
Kingsmead is part of the Healthcare Homes family of 48 care homes across the south and east of the UK. Healthcare Homes is one of the UK’s leading care providers, currently celebrating eight consecutive years as one of independent review site carehome.co.uk Top 20 Award winners. The company also provides award-winning domiciliary care and live-in care. Kingsmead has a 9.5 out of 10 score with carehome.co.uk and is rated Good by the Care Quality Commission.
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