The Heritage Care at Home Group has opened a new adult day care centre in the Suffolk coastal town of Lowestoft, in a bid to tackle social isolation.
The new Golden Memories Day Care Centre opened on July 25 and has since been offering support to elderly and vulnerable people in the community.
Reporters from the Lowestoft Journal news outlet were present at the launch of the centre, based at number 259 on the town’s London Road South. Jo Harmer, from the Ladies in Lockdown support group, cut the ribbon to mark the opening.
As part of its offering, the centre offers planned activities that are tailored to all participants regardless of their ability or health condition. These range from music entertainment and sing-along sessions right through to arts and crafts activities, bingo and board games.
Dedicated staff are ever-present on site to attend to the needs of service users, while the centre is also equipped with quiet areas for those that need a calm space.
Jess Wilson, manager of the Golden Memories Day Care Centre, told the Lowestoft Journal of the need for such a facility in the area to cater for a need that had become far more pressing since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Wilson said: “Covid put paid to a lot of day care facilities for elderly and vulnerable people in the community, especially in the Lowestoft area.
“It is really important to have a facility like this in the town. We decided to open our own day care centre and wanted to have a grand opening to try and raise a bit of community spirit, especially for the elderly.
“We wanted to do our bit to try and reduce social isolation and give a little respite to family carers. We know the general public's mental health was affected badly by the pandemic and lockdowns through being isolated, but for someone with no family or people to support them it is magnified.
“This centre offers them a chance to just get out the house for a day or two. It gives people something to look forward to.”
Photo by LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR on Unsplash
