Two Doncaster homecare workers have bought a taste of Italy to some of the people they care for.
Alison Haigh and her colleague Emma Knot recently introduced the annual Virtual Food Cruise into the homes of service users.
The food cruise is an initiative in place across the Hull-based Hica Group care organisation, which sees a new country at the heart of the group’s activities each month and encourages residents to experience the culture of other countries – including their music, food, drink and even their clothes.
As part of the cruise, Alison and Emma have helped the people they look after through Hica at Home, take part in activities that previously, could only happen in the Hica Group’s care homes.
Alison said: “It has been lovely to see the positive impact that the food cruise and other activities, has had on the people we care for. We’ve decorated their homes with Italy flags and balloons, helped them cook pizza and pasta, created a pop-up ice-cream parlour and some people have even created their own Italian themed postcards.
“I think it’s fantastic that we’ve been able to introduce the food cruise idea into people’s homes. Activities like these are really beneficial to the group’s care homes, but I think they are equally important to the people we care for at Hica at Home too.”
The two homecare workers have been praised by their manager and other senior staff, for their commitment to making a difference to the people they look after.
Angela Williams, manager of Hica at Home for Doncaster, said: “Alison and Emma are two very hard-working individuals, who deserve to be recognised for the effort they have put in to ensure that as many people as possible can take part in the group’s activities.
“Since joining us almost ten years ago, they have both continually gone out of their way to make a positive difference to the people they care for. We are very proud to have them as part of our team.”
As well as the Virtual Food Cruise, the pair have encouraged residents to take part in other initiatives and activities that promote the importance of mental and physical wellbeing, including designing Christmas cards and taking part in photography competitions.
Hica at Home is part of the Hica Group, a not for profit organisation, which operates a portfolio of 15 residential care homes, five of which are for people with a learning disability, along with two retirement villages. The company also runs a home care service providing approximately 11,500 hours of support and care from four regional offices in the North of England.
