International theme at Gillaroo Lodge on national open day

Gillaroo Lodge director Mrs Liz Rowan explained: “We were invited last year to participate in a new nationwide event.

“The idea was to make homes accessible to the local community to show just how much good care is offered in nursing homes all over the UK.

“Too often we hear the negative experiences, so we were delighted to be able to open our doors and show what we believe good care looks like.

“Having had a good experience last year we decided that we would do it again this year.”

The theme of this year’s event was ‘Around the World,’ and residents, staff and visitors were invited to join in the fun.

Mrs Rowan continued: “Some of our staff attended the event wearing traditional dress from their home countries, and Jenny McMurray our cook manager made sure that the menu on offer had an international flavour, featuring dishes from various parts of the world.

“Even our invited guests entered into the spirit of the occasion–the multi award-winning Roddensvale choir sang in Swahili as well as English, and Mrs Ali McClure, who was doing a craft workshop with the residents, brought with her a range of jewellery hand-made by ladies in Mozambique.”

In addition to the activities on offer inside the home, visitors were able to make the most of the good weather by exploring the award-winning gardens. The day concluded with a traditional afternoon tea with home-baked treats.