Students Brighten Up Local Care Home

Blaenau Gwent art and design students have been putting their skills to good use brightening up a local care home. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Eight BTEC level 3 students spent a week at Cwrt Mytton Care Home in Abertillery which is a residential home for the older people, many of whom have dementia. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Coleg Gwent were approached by the Care Home, which has adopted the Butterfly Approach to dementia. As part of their commitment to improving the care and lives of residents with dementia, they wanted to brighten up the care home to make it more stimulating. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

It was agreed that the students would spend a week at the care home, producing designs on some of the windows. The students opted to create designs with a garden theme as the home is split into 3 sections – Poppies, Daffodils and Sunflowers. The students also integrated the Welsh Valleys into their designs. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

John Smale, Community Connector at Mytton Care Home said: “On behalf of all our staff and residents, I would like to thank the students for all of the hard work they put into painting the windows and brightening up the home. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The windows have already been a great success as residents, family and friends have used them for conversation starters and have all said how lovely and bright, as well as welcoming the home has been since the paintings have been completed. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“I would also like to thank all the students for how understanding and engaging they were with all the residents, sometimes it can be challenging to engage with or interact with people living with Dementia but the students were friendly and always had time for residents which made a great difference to the residents in the home.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Coleg Gwent Lecturer Stacey Knight said: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“This community project was part of the students Welsh Baccalaureate. It was a huge success and a real team effort from everyone involved. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The students were a huge hit with the staff and residents in Cwrt Mytton care home. They showed maturity and such a kind and caring attitude towards the residents- most of whom live with dementia. Some of them spent more time with the residents than they did painting!” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​