Getting Your Care Home Ready for Summer
We all look forward to the summer months; the warm sunshine, an ice-cold lemonade and an afternoon BBQ. The question is, what are the best ways to get your care home ready for the warmer months?
Check the cooling system
Does your care home have an air conditioning system in place to help keep your residents nice and cool on hot days? If there is an air conditioning system in place, it’s a good idea having it checked over by an expert to make sure that it’s functioning properly. After all, the last thing that you want is to turn it on when the weather gets hot, only to find that it’s not functioning properly, especially as hot weather can be dangerous for seniors and can lead to all sorts of health problems.
Do a spring clean
In preparation for the start of summer, now is the perfect time to do a deep clean of your care home, if you haven’t already done one, that is. Wash the windows, take down the curtains and wash them, steam all the floors, repaint any areas that are looking a little worse for wear, wash the furniture covers - the list could go on and on. Basically, what you want to do is refresh anything that you can, from the soft furnishings to the windows.
Change up the menu
Another great way to prepare your care home for warmer weather is to take a look at the menus that you have in place. With the warmer weather on the way, it’s time to say goodbye to warming soups, stews, and curries, and hello to some lighter and more refreshing dishes. The best summer dishes are things like paella, salads, cold soups, and light meats and fish such as chicken, prawns, salmon, and ham. Does your care home have a BBQ? If so, perhaps you could have a BBQ night once a week where you serve your residents a selection of BBQ grilled foods.
Spend some time on the garden
As the weather gets warmer, your residents are going to want to spend more and more time outside. That’s why a good way to prepare for the warmer weather is to spend some time outside getting the garden ready for summer. Think pretty pot plants, quirky pieces of furniture, cute lighting, and little activity areas to keep your residents occupied, such as a sensory garden, for instance.
Refresh the conservatory
If your care home has a conservatory attached to it, now is the perfect time to give it a bit of a revamp. For those days that aren’t as warm as they could be, a conservatory is a great way to bring the outside in, especially if your conservatory has patio doors attached to it. Swap out the old cushions, for new, stylish ones. Add fairy lights. Hang strings of bunting. Dot a few pot plants about. Add a CD player.
To get your care home ready for summer, so that your residents can make the most of the warm weather, take note of the tips and ideas above.
