The Residents at
Hawthorn Court in Hebburn which offers residential and residential memory care, for those living with dementia, got creative and enjoyed making ladybirds for the garden out of used coconut bird feeders.
The shape of the shells made them ideal for painting and making ladybird features for the garden.
Firstly, the shells needed to be smoothed or sanded to enable paint to go on easily. Then the Residents enjoyed painting them in various colours, black spots and smiley faces were finally painted on.
The Residents got quite excited to see what the end results would be with the different colours used.
It was a lovely activity as it encouraged great conversation about gardens, plants and insects.
In total twelve ladybirds were used in the communal garden and several of the Residents look out for them and count them when they are outside for garden walks. Others like to pick them up and re-hide them in different places for others to seek out.
People at the home are continuing to make them, they are also making toadstools from the shells and using fortified drinks bottles as stalks, they are hoping to sell them so they can raise extra money for the funds.
June, Violet and Jim, who are three Residents, remarked, “This has been great fun but a bit messy”, “I think they’ll look great in the garden” and “How many can we make?”
Amanda Sleightholme, Care Home Manager commented, “Everyone seemed to enjoy the activity, and now people who are walking in garden always look out for them”.