The aims and objectives of the day care centre are to tackle isolation and boredom of elderly people, especially those with mental needs. This is achieved through various interesting activities. The activities included soap making, glass painting, making Eid cards and other arts & crafts activities. These provided an excellent opportunity for the elderly to participate in activities that they have not previously done. There is also seated exercise which made the elderly more active and capable of doing more things with their hands.
At Sangat we pride ourselves in taking care of our local community but particularly vulnerable groups such as the elderly. Our Day Care Centre has been one of our most consistent and regularly attended functions and is always the first to be written into the months’ timetable of events. Started in 1997 the day centre provides a unique opportunity within the elderly Asian community to gather together to enjoy a chat with old friends and a meal in the luncheon club. The centre is open to women on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and men on Thursdays. Cooked meals are provided by local cooks from within the community itself to create authentic dishes which always go down well with the older generation.
But it is not just a meal we provide to our elderly residents. Throughout the day we have organised events from such as exercise classes specifically designed for the older generation to keep them as fit and healthy as possible with expert tuition from personal trainer Mary Parkinson.
Some of the key achievements of the year have been:
Setting up walks as they have been enjoyable, varied, interesting and a change from the normal routine of participants. Also some participants reported taking up walking up on a regular basis.
Setting up weekly food taster sessions for children and mothers, and getting mothers to encourage children to eat more fruit. Providing a varied plan for cook and eat sessions to promote healthy eating and introducing new foods.