There was a delicious smell in the air one Sunday afternoon at Rand
Aid’s Ron Smith Care Centre on the River Lodge 1 wing, as a group of
residents whipped up a batch of flapjacks for tea.
As they mixed up the batter &and watched very carefully to find just
the right moment to flip the flapjacks, they reminisced about all the times
they had made this comforting food for their families and how it was always a
special treat.
The activity was organised by Leannie Bessinger, the Charge Sister on
River Lodge 1, and is very much in keeping with the Eden Alternative philosophy
of providing activities for the residents of the care centre which bring
meaning and joy to them and which remind them of the simple pleasures and
day-to-day activities they enjoyed when they were living in their own
homes.
Activities such as baking or preparing food, which takes place right
in the wing where they live, makes for a more homely atmosphere and takes
away that feeling of living in an institution, which is what the Eden
philosophy is all about – finding those activities and simple pleasures which
make this place home for each resident.
“Leannie is living Eden and I am so happy with the activities she
organises over weekends for the residents,” says Zabeth Zühlsdorff, Rand Aid’s GM
Services and Advance Division.
Patricia Stevenson, Janet Smart, Dolly Luke and Ginny Lorge try their hand at flapjack making.
Jean Smart gets mixing, with a
little support from Lettia Nyelele.
