This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and residents at Sidney Corob House and Jack Gardner House, Jewish Care’s homes for people with mental health needs, will be marking it together with a series of in-person workshops. The theme of the national awareness week is loneliness, and the residents will be participating in drama workshops celebrating positivity, a creative writing and arts programme which includes making T-shirts with empowering slogans.
Norma Christie, Registered Manager at Jewish Care’s Jack Gardner House in Golders Green, explains, “We’re looking forward to marking Mental Health Awareness Week together in-person this year with the residents at Jewish Care’s Sidney Corob House.
“I think everyone should have an opportunity in life and it’s important to try to motivate people to do as much as they can for themselves and to be as independent as they can be.
“We support residents to be part of the community in the home and in our local community and we work with our neighbours and local services to help them to understand and support our residents’ needs. We also work closely with the relatives, friends and volunteers as well as with the Intensive Enablement Team in Barnet as part of the Community Mental Health Team, with GPs and local community Rabbis and partners.
“They have all supported us through the pandemic and we’ve enjoyed getting back to the cinema and theatre and adapting again to life since the restrictions have lifted. We also do a lot with Jewish Care’s Sidney Corob House just down the road in West Hampstead, including visiting them for joint activities which we also did on Zoom through the pandemic.”
The person-centred specialist care in Jewish Care homes for people with mental health needs includes a programme of activities for residents.
One resident, Berel, enjoys boxing with a trainer, four times a week, He says, “I really enjoy it and the trainer says I’m really good and have good stamina. We also do other exercises, but I enjoy boxing the most.”
Care staff, volunteers and the expert care teams work hard to build relationships with the local community services and shops, ensuring residents feel supported, understood and included in the community they live in.
Naomi, a resident at Jack Gardner House, enjoys getting her hair cut locally. Norma explains, “We support Naomi who enjoys going to the hairdresser, so we worked with the local hairdresser to support the appointments and explain how to manage some situations which can come up for her and the best ways to enable her to enjoy the experience of having a haircut.
Naomi says, ““I really like going to the hairdresser in Golders Green and I feel happy going there. I like my long wavy hairstyle, the colour and the way they blow dry my hair. They offer tea and they are friendly and chat with me.”
