Why do you think care homes love to get involved with nostalgia?
I think it is such a lovely thing for residents to get involved with. It is something everyone can relate to there, reliving those younger years and getting reminded of things that brought you such joy. As well, within care, you can really have fun with nostalgia. Whether you create themed rooms, put on a nostalgic menu or even play old school films… you can easily bring a little nostalgia to your home.
What can care homes do to bring Nostalgia into their home?
We are really excited to launch the 50’s Nostalgia guide with you all. The guide is very product lead to help not only deal with the staffing challenges the industry is having but to also give your residents something a little different to enjoy. The guide itself is not just a menu too, it is filled with cocktails, shakes, music, games and activities!
We really just wanted to deliver a guide that made it simple to have some fun with and to really bring that 1950’s Americana theme alive. Ultimately, to bring nostalgia in to your home, you just need to think of ways to evoke some joy within all of your residents whether it is through food, games or films – there needs to be something for everyone.
Why did you choose the 1950s Americana for the first Nostalgia theme?
We wanted to pick an era that was vibrant, bold and fun. The 1950’s in America was just that! The years in which music, fashion and interests saw a massive cultural shift. We wanted to really channel this for the campaign. We also had so many exciting products for the care sector to get involved with that fit this theme perfectly, from the classic sides to our vegan hot dog!
What is your favourite dish from the guide?
I have to say I really enjoyed creating the vegan burger! I think it is so different to what is out there at the moment in terms of care recipes. It can be easily adapted to fit a variety of residents but it can also offer something new yet bold for people to try. The sundae too… it is a tough choice!
How can a care home successfully implement a fun diner concept for all their residents?
The key to this is really adapting the offering to meet your resident’s needs. We understand each and every resident is different. Through our inspiration guide, you can easily use that inspiration to then tailor it further. For example, hot dogs are not suitable for all residents. Instead, you can cut them up and create mini dog’s canapé style, or even with the shakes, you could fortify these to help your resident’s specific dietary needs.
In the 50’s Nostalgia guide, there are a lot of games. Which is your favourite?
I really do like the Spotify playlist, I think this is such a great way of creating an atmosphere in the home without lots of added costs. However, my favourite has to be ‘Letters Inspired by you.’ Emily pulled together a set of questions to really help everyone get to know each other and also get residents to feel nostalgic about their past. One of the questions is ‘what is your favourite outfit you have ever worn?’ – Such a nice question to spark some awesome stories in the homes.
We would love to see any inspired nostalgic inspired activities in your home, please tag us in social media and show us exactly how you bring Nostalgia alive in your home.
You can view our latest guide, 50’s Nostalgia here!
