Are there benefits to self-care in residential care?
What is self care?
We often don’t realise just how important self-care can be. Life gets busy schedules get full and we forget just how important we are to ourselves.
Studies show as you get older the less you think of your own self image. You tend to care less about how you look and don’t realise that it has a huge impact on how you view yourself.
Here at Richmond we believe that self-care is just as important as health care. There is nothing better than seeing our residents feeling good about themselves and looking good too!
Self-care comes in many different forms.
•Giving yourself a pamper; a new hair style, new manicure or pedicure, popping on a bit of makeup or just giving your hair a wash!
•Having a facial or even giving yourself a home face mask you picked up while doing your weekly shop!
•A foot spa, a hand massage or even a head massage(fantastic for releasing tension)
•Taking some alone time to yourself to read,colour or even watch a show or listen to the radio.
Why is it important?
Self care promotes endless benefits in everyone, we believe in giving our residents confidence. We have seen the benefits and change first hand in our residents after having their hair or nails done, we see lifted moods and boosted confidence. We love to see it!
So what exactly are the benefits of self care?
Reminiscing: Salons are the ideal place to reminisce about the good old days, and hairdressers are often the ‘keeper of secrets’, encouraging residents to reconnect with their past and good old memories.
Mental health: By encouraging residents to take care of how they look, we find that they often end up feeling better about their situation too. They are the centre of attention, relaxed and love to enjoy a transformation in their appearance. When you look good you feel good!
Multi-sensory experience: The experience of being touched, massaged, talked to and all the smells that go with a salon experience offer full sensory indulgence that just can’t be matched. This is particularly important for those living with dementia and enables continuity in their interactions and activities.
We all like to be pampered – whether you are living in a care home or your own home, we all deserve to feel special.
Why do we maintain self care?
It's sometimes hard to admit when you need help, so moving into a residential home could be perceived as a challenge to a persons independence. Not only that, but even seniors who have self care routines can struggle to maintain them. It's very important that we maintain independence for as long as possible. Encouraging our residents to look after themselves, through methods such as getting regular haircuts or having their nails done. These can have a significant effect on their willingness and want to form and maintain relationships with friends, family and the community. It's not just something that should be prioritised for female residents either.
Ensuring our male are residents maintain their appearance, such as dressing to impress, shaving or even a new hairstyle can make a huge difference to their social lives and mental health.
Participating in self-care allows people of all ages to maintain a level of control over their lives, when many circumstances may be out of their control.
“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.”
-Oscar Wilde.
Richmond Care Home in Shirebrook, Mansfield is a thriving, family-run home. If you would like to know more about our care home, please call us on 01623 748474 or email kate.birch@richmondcarehome.co.uk
