Lights, camera, action! Crowborough care home launches dementia-friendly cinema club

A care home in Crowborough is welcoming the local community to a new cinema club, specially designed to offer support to those living with dementia and their carers. 

Taking place on the third Wednesday of every month, from 2pm, local people are invited to attend the cinema club at Care UK’s Heather View, on Beacon Road.

Attendees will be shown a variety of classic ‘feel-good’ films in the comfort of the care home’s cinema, a safe, social and supportive environment, with the aim of encouraging those living with dementia to reconnect with their past and connect with others. 

Family carers will also have the opportunity to meet others in a similar position, share experiences with one another and benefit from the expertise of the Heather View team.

Visitors can also enjoy refreshments during the film, as well as coffee and cake in the home’s café afterwards. 

Natasha King, Home Manager at Heather View, said: “Here at Heather View, we strive to create a sense of belonging within the home and the wider community, including those living with dementia and those who care for a loved one with the condition.  

“Reminiscence therapy, including watching older films, has a multitude of benefits to those living with dementia. It allows them to feel confident in their memories, and to engage comfortably with others by telling stories and sharing thoughts. These sessions can also enable those caring for a loved one to meet others in a similar position, to show them they are not alone, and to allow them a space where they can share their experiences and feel supported too.”

Heather View has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. The home provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite and palliative care. The home has its own space for activities, as well as a cinema, sensory room and café.