Care home gets £5,000 grant to offer yoga and meditation to residents

Four Seasons Health Care’s Marlborough Court Care Home has been awarded a £5,000 bursary so it can continue offering yoga and meditation therapy to residents.

Residents living at Marlborough Court Care Home in Thamesmead, South London, have already had taster sessions of the popular exercise, which is practised in studios and gyms across the world.

Now, thanks to a bursary from the Foundation of Nursing Studies, the home has introduced an 18 month-long yoga programme, which will focus on teaching relaxing techniques that are suitable for older people and for those living with dementia.

Marlborough Court and yoga instructor, Tania Plahay, applied for the bursary based on the recommendation of Dr Theresa Shaw, chief executive of the Foundation of Nursing Standards, who was very impressed by the home’s pilot yoga scheme which ran earlier on in the year.

These weekly classes will see people enjoy meditation, controlled breathing and other gentle yoga techniques. The exercise’s health benefits are well-known, and will help people sleep better and retain their fitness, whilst remaining as supple and mobile as possible.

Dr Theresa Shaw said: “Yoga therapy in care homes is a fantastic and innovative idea and one which we think could help people across the board. Not only will it help improve people’s posture and sleeping habits but the weekly classes are also a great social activity which everyone can get involved in.”

Maggie Candy, home manager of Marlborough Court, added: “We are always trying to pioneer new activities to help residents lead a healthy and interactive lifestyle. We noticed a marked improvement in people’s health with the pilot scheme earlier this year so we are delighted to receive this bursary which will allow us to continue offering this innovative therapy.”

Marlborough Court has 75 residents and provides dedicated, person-centred for elderly people who are living with dementia, or who need nursing or respite care.

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