FRESHFIELDS RESIDENTS SAMPLE A TASTE OF INDIA

An Indian cultural day proved a real ‘dahl’ breaker for residents at a Plymouth nursing home for people with dementia.

The event, the first of a series of planned cultural days at Freshfields, featured music, dancing and authentic Indian food with staff dressing up in saris.

“There was a wonderful atmosphere with the sounds of traditional folk music and the smells of Indian cooking,” said Freshfields manager Su Fuller.

“We had a Bollywood movie about an Indian wedding in one room, and staff performing traditional Indian dances in another.

“We had a brilliant day. Our residents loved it and had big smiles on their faces. The Indian dishes went down a treat with people coming back for seconds.”

Freshfields’ staff members, deputy manager, Ivorine Ramkishun, Annie Indar and Nandita Joshi, worked with the service’s activities’ team to host the event.

“They really went to town,” added Su Fuller.” Nandita brought in a huge box of saris for us to try on, along with exotic headwear and jewellery.

“I had no idea how much material went into a sari, there was miles and miles of it. And I was wearing so much ‘bling’ I felt a bit like Elizabeth Taylor.”

Ivorine Ramkishun, and her daughter Annie who works in the kitchen at Freshfields, prepared the food, which included dahl, curries and an Indian dessert.

Freshfields, run by care providers Camelot Care, is a specialist home catering for people with memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language.