Weymouth care home residents were treated like their film and music star idols during a special pampering session.
Residents living at Buxton House, on Radipole Lane, were joined by Birmingham-based team, Dementia Friendly Barbers, led by Tom Roberts and Cordelle Cabey. The men are on a mission to provide a dedicated dementia-friendly barber service to care homes across the UK, with Buxton House being the first care home that they have visited in Dorset.
Tom and Cordelle brought retro-themed hair and shaving products, a speaker shaped like an old-fashioned juke box, and photos featuring music, sports, and film stars from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, to transform the home’s hairdressing salon into a barber’s shop. The hair cutting and beard trimming service was offered to all residents, not just those living with dementia.
The session aimed to spark conversation while sat in the barber’s chair and enabled the residents to reminisce about the music they were listening to during the experience by musicians such as Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.
Tom Roberts, founder of the Dementia Friendly Barbers, said: “It was lovely to see the residents’ eyes light up as they shared the stories of their life experiences and their favourite film and music stars. We like to make it a sensory experience with different sights, sounds, and smells sparking their memories. We had such a warm welcome from the Buxton House team, and it was a privilege to be able to support the residents to feel relaxed, valued, and respected as they took a trip down memory lane.”
Buxton House, which is run by the not-for-profit charity Care South, provides residential, respite, and dementia care. The care home features a range of communal lounges overlooking landscaped gardens for residents to enjoy. Buxton House has a dedicated activities team who organise a daily programme of events to bring residents together to socialise and build friendships.
Lauren Taylor, Home Manager at Buxton House, said: “We were thrilled to welcome the Dementia Friendly Barbers who created smiles, laughter, and conversations from the residents throughout the day. At Care South, we like to enable residents to continue enjoying activities and experiences that they might not be able to have without the team’s support. We are so grateful to Tom and Cordelle for bringing such joy to our home.”
Care South is a leading provider of high quality residential and home care services across the south of England. The not-for-profit charity has care homes in Dorset, north Devon, and Somerset, and home care offices covering Dorset and Somerset.
For more information about the care services available at Buxton House, go to care-south.co.uk or call the care home on 01305 237653.
