Everybody loves somebody sometime, or so they say, and staff and residents of TriCare’s Aged Care communities were certainly sharing the love on Valentine’s Day. From delicious, sweet treats, to quality time spent with friends and family, hearts were full, and eyes were smiling as cupid distributed good vibes all around.
Memories are made of this
Across the board, our Lifestyle Teams worked hard to let residents know they are loved and appreciated. At Mt Gravatt, the residents were treated to cards and chocolates from their Lifestyle Team, as well as an array of activities to enjoy, including card making, writing messages for family, making heart flowers, Valentine’s picture bingo, and high tea. Kindness and joy are contagious, and everyone laughed and smiled all day as they shared happy moments with each other during the activities. At Kawana Waters, the team surprised resident couples, who arrived at the dining rooms for breakfast with a romantic setting laid out with candlelight, love heart sprinkles, and a handwritten card with a rose from husbands or partners. Ooh La La!
That’s what friends are for
But of course, Valentine’s Day isn’t just for couples – everyone can celebrate! Annerley residents celebrated Valentine’s Day decorating love heart cakes for morning tea and reminiscing about what Valentine’s Days past. Upper Mt Gravatt residents also turned their hands to baking and decorating love heart cakes which were then enjoyed at a big morning tea with residents and staff as everyone enjoyed some Valentine’s Day fun facts. There were plenty of enjoyable conversations as residents embraced the spirit of the day and made the most of the great company. It was the perfect occasion to show love and affection to family and friends and a great opportunity for staff to spend extra quality time with residents.
Getting crafty was the order of the day at Cypress Gardens and Jindalee, with residents creating beautiful hearts in their craft sessions. The ladies of Kawana Waters enjoyed getting a little romantic with their Valentine’s Day craft. The Lifestyle Team set the scene with some romantic music as the ladies got to work on decorative hearts. Romantic art led to romantic conversation, as the ladies discussed tales of love, husbands past and present, and other matters of the heart over morning tea. Their lovely creations were then hung on their walker or door handles of their rooms, in anticipation of the day of peak romance.
How sweet it is…
The adage that the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach rang true as our residents dined in (and out!) on sweet treats and other culinary delights. At Stafford Lakes, residents were treated to a high tea party complete with beautiful crockery and petite food items, served on 3-tier cake plates. It’s the small details that make it special! Cypress Gardens residents celebrated with a Valentine’s high tea in the afternoon complete with love-themed music playing in the background and a selection of tasty treats, including macarons and cupcakes with tea, coffee, and a variety of soft drinks or wine to have while having a good old catch up with all their friends in the facility.
A group of Kawana Waters residents enjoyed a special Valentine’s Day lunch at the Brightwater Tavern. Residents enjoyed a delicious lunch along with a few cold wines and beers, which were very welcome in the hot weather. Once back at home, a special visitor brought big cuddles for everyone – Romeo, the Valentine’s Day Bear. At the end of the day, residents enjoyed a Valentine’s Day Bingo game with none other than Romeo as the lucky door prize!
Unchained melodies
They say that when words fail, music speaks, and so it was at Jindalee Aged Care Residence on Valentine’s Day. In the morning residents enjoyed a concert with Tamsin who always puts on a terrific show with not only music but various costume changes, and then in the afternoon there was a wonderful concert with Nathaniel who played a medley of songs on his flute to the delight of his audience. At Annerley and Mermaid Beach, love songs were the musical backdrop to the day, and one clever Mermaid Beach songbird even performed a little ditty she wrote to her fellow residents! That’s amore!
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all our residents and staff for getting into the spirit of Valentine’s Day 2023 and creating new memories of love and friendship.
