Aged care + Cafe = ?
Very few aged care facilities have a cafe onsite which is open to the public. Alexa was interested to understand what if any benefits this additional facility provided for all those who used it. She based her research at Ross Home in Dunedin.
Alexa focussed firstly on the residents and their friends and family who used the cafe, whom she interviewed. The results indicated that the addition of a café within an aged care environment can have significant value for this group. The café and the staff have created a place where the residents can appreciate the pleasant aesthetic environment but also experience a sense of belonging to a community. The café provides a multitude of opportunities for the residents to create and maintain social networks and the sharing of food and drink is an activity which can contribute to the maintenance of life roles, family life and connections to the community. The café generates a hub of activity which provides stimulation and opportunities for residents to make choices in the eating and drinking of favoured items.
Subsequent phases of research have affirmed that having a cafe onsite also had value for staff, in their professional and personal lives, and for members of the public who pop in. The cafe has had a positive impact on the culture at Ross Home. Alexa hopes that other aged care facilities will incorporate a cafe on site to reap similar benefits.