Keeping busy is the secret to happiness at Scarlet House

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Nov 18, 2015

Sheila Taylor is celebrating. But then, in her words, “I do like to be happy.” The 87-year-old great-great-grandmother is marking her first year as a resident of Scarlet House care home in Stroud. 

Before moving to Scarlet House, Sheila had lived in another local residential home. Over the course of her years there the home had become more dementia-focused. Being a sociable person, Sheila had become increasingly isolated and unhappy, with little to do and fewer people on her wavelength to talk to. However, with a history of falls and broken bones, including a broken hip, moving to another residential home was the only option.
Luckily Scarlet House was taking shape. “I came down to have a look while the home was still being built,” says Angela, Sheila’s daughter. “I liked what I saw. I knew that if Mum was going to move anywhere, it was going to be here. It was a great decision to move her.” 

“I love it here,” continues Sheila. “I love everything about the home. I have lots of laughs with the staff, from the housekeeping girls through to the carers and Pyela, the home manager. They call me ‘Trouble’, which I love. And I have so many things to do here that just weren’t an option in the other home. 

“We do reminiscence and puzzles, cooking and baking, and crafts. I’ve got a good memory and like doing quizzes and I enjoy painting – I used to paint quite a lot. We do knitting circle, there are film evenings, and trips out. They’ve even got me gardening. I wake up each morning and look at my activities programme and feel excited about the day ahead.”

Sheila gets the most out of all the other benefits of life at Scarlet House. “I have my hair done every week and get my nails done regularly,” she explains. “The chef even comes around to ask us what we’d like to see on the menu. 

“The first day I came here I said to Angela ‘I’m home’. Now I make sure I recommend Scarlet House to everyone I can,” says Sheila.

Angela smiles. “I can’t fault it here,” she says. “I couldn’t ask for better care for Mum. The peace of mind that she’s happy and cared for is what matters to me. Pyela is wonderful. She’s not like a manager – you can talk to her about anything and nothing is too much trouble. She even rolls up her sleeves and does care work when she needs to. All the team are like our family now. I can’t thank them enough.”