Family members at Gibraltar Nursing Home in Monmouth recently enjoyed taking part in a coffee tasting afternoon in the home’s Pillars Restaurant.
Gibraltar’s household model approach means people with similar care needs live in smaller communities within the wider home, while still having opportunities to spend time with people from other households. Those who wanted to take part in the tasting were supported downstairs to Pillars Restaurant, where the tables were laid with a selection of cakes to accompany the different coffees being brewed!
On offer were three pairings: Italian coffee with biscotti, French coffee served with a mini croissant and jam, or British-style filter coffee with a slice of Victoria sponge. Everyone could mix and match, of course, and there was also tea for those who have never been big coffee drinkers!
The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the room as Assistant Manager Emily went around with the different bags of coffee, inviting family members to smell the different roasts before deciding what they fancied trying. With plenty of tasting and conversation around the table, it was a lovely opportunity to explore different flavours and engage the senses while having a good old natter.
For people living with a Dementia, eating and drinking can sometimes become more difficult as they move along their journey. The smell or sight of something appetising can help spark an interest in food and drink, making sensory experiences like these a helpful way to encourage someone who might not always feel like eating or drinking.
Events like these are also great opportunities to try something a little different, while continuing routines that many people will have enjoyed throughout their lives. For some, a cup of coffee may have always been a moment to pause and take a little time for themselves, while for others, a trip to a café with friends might have been a favourite way to socialise and catch up.
Bringing family members together in this way gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy those familiar experiences in their own home, whether that means trying a new flavour, sharing a slice of cake or simply sitting around the table having a conversation over a cuppa.
Emily shared about the afternoon, ‘We thought it would be nice to do something a bit different with our usual afternoon cuppa! It was lovely to see people getting curious and seeing what they thought of the different smells and tastes. And of course, you can’t have a coffee afternoon without a bit of cake!’
The home has previously held a cheese tasting event and a pizza-making afternoon, with plenty of possibilities for what family members might like to taste or make together next!
Gibraltar Nursing Home is based in Monmouth, Wales and supports older people with residential, nursing, dementia and respite care. Life in the home is shaped around people continuing the interests, routines and everyday things that matter to them.
To read more stories about the events, activities, and people living and working at Gibraltar Nursing Home, please click here.