Ensuring every day is full of opportunities for residents to have fun, re-kindle talents or try something new, is Jyotsana Piya Shrestha’s passion. In her role as Magic Moments Coordinator at Four Seasons Health Care’s Lansdowne Care Home in Cricklewood, she and her team are dedicated to making a positive difference and enriching the lives of residents.
A qualified yoga and aerobics instructor, Jyotsana started working at Lansdowne Care Home in 2018 as a care assistant. The home provides elderly care for a wide range of support needs including nursing, palliative and dementia care. Jyotsana’s change of career was motivated by her desire to help people, especially those who need extra support.
Jyotsana’s creativity in coming up with ideas for new activities for residents to take part in was soon noticed and she was asked to join and then lead the Magic Moments activities team. “A dream role, where I can build meaningful relationships, bring purpose to residents’ everyday lives and put a smile on people’s faces!”
The Magic Moments activities programme at Lansdowne Care Home is tailored to residents’ individual needs and preferences. Jyotsana says getting to know the people in her care is crucial. “What is their story so far? What makes them happy? What would they like to do that they used to enjoy before they moved into Lansdowne Care Home? “Is there something new they’d like to try?” Jyotsana feels privileged when residents share their stories with her and loves coming up with ideas to help enhance reminiscence sessions for a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
Jyotsana says: “Every day is different, whether it’s a trip to the coast for fish and chips while sharing memories of seaside holidays, a relaxing yoga session, or a ‘Love Learning’ activity where residents try something new to add to their list of talents. We’ve held singing classes, language courses, photography lessons and joined live, interactive tours of far-flung places to learn more about different cultures.”
Celebrating the diverse family of residents and team members from 32 different countries with 16 different religions at Lansdowne is a really engaging part of the role for Jyotsana. She organises regular cultural events including fashion shows, where people model their traditional dress and the home’s chefs prepare a feast of global dishes.
One of the many things Jyotsana loves about her job is forging relationships in the local area so residents are closely connected to their community. She explained: “Holding intergenerational arts & crafts and music activities with local children brings so much joy for everyone involved. We love inviting people to join us for activities and charity fundraisers throughout the year. The Mayor of Barnet attended our community coffee morning for Macmillan Cancer Support last year and it was an amazing event with lots of money raised and new friendships made.”
Jyotsana’s creativity won Lansdowne first place in a Four Seasons competition when the Magic Moments team put on a show to celebrate the Eurovision Song Contest. Residents, team members and families were all involved, whether singing and dancing, judging, creating the set or being part of a very exuberant audience!
Another recent achievement has been Lansdowne’s review score increasing to 9.9 on the website carehome.co.uk. Reading through the reviews, it’s clear to see how much Jyotsana and her team contribute to the excellent care provided by the whole team at the home.
Jyotsana says she feels blessed to have such a rewarding career, “I get to help people to live their lives as fully as possible and we all have so much fun together. It’s the best job in the world.”
