Group helps men to get talking and keep talking
When the Bupa Te Puke Country Lodge Care Home Men’s Group meet each month, the activities coordinator ensures they cover a variety of topics to keep the guys interested.
Dwayne Ferguson leads the tight knit group of more than ten male residents, which has become a popular place for the residents to share memories and to speak openly. Last month, the coordinator brought along some old farm shed tools and relics from wartime such as a bayonet, gas mask and lantern. The residents reminisced and recalled their memories and discussed their experiences.
“We have a lot of laughs and it’s a great opportunity for the male residents to bond together. Many of the guys have a farming background and so the farm tools really got the conversation going,” Mr Ferguson says.
June is Men’s Health Month and recent group outings have included a trip to a local farm, a fitness walk to the wharf for a fish n’ chip lunch and to see the fishing boats, information on prostate awareness month, and a Cricket World Cup display. Bupa Te Puke Country Lodge Care Home Manager Chris Boudet says the men’s group, with residents aged late 70s to early 90s, is about helping the guys to get talking and to keep talking.
“They have wonderful life stories to share but they also need to be comfortable to talk about their ongoing health, so that we know when and where they need support,” Ms Boudet says.
