Oakwoods Retirement Village residents Pauline Johnston and Pat Fearn had smiles from ear to ear even before they were helped into the trishaw e-bike for a ride around the gardens.
The trishaw rides were put on hold throughout two years of Covid-19 restrictions, but the village was able to crank it up again toward the end of last year and residents in the rest home are exploring their neighbourhood once again.
Oakwoods’ wellness leader Chris Borlase says it has been great to kickstart the trishaw rides again for residents who come back beaming and telling other residents about everything they have seen along the way.
Age Concern organises volunteers to pilot the trishaw and Tess Bygate put her hand up for a monthly slot after she saw a trishaw at a Ride by Cycle day.
She had been looking for a volunteer role and when she saw the trishaw she thought: “that’s what I want to do”.
“You hear lots of stories when you take them out! And there’s a lot that don’t want to stop when you take them back.”
Wellness coordinator Grace Horner says about 15 of their residents are physically able to get into the trishaw and enjoy rides that usually take them through Oakland’s gardens or down the road to Berryfields.
“I took Pat out for a birthday treat and couldn’t believe what a restful, cathartic experience it is. It’s a really lovely interactive experience for them.”
The village bought the trishaw a few years ago as part of the Cycling Without Age programme to get their elderly residents back onto a bike and around their community. The programme is aimed at challenging the way ageing is treated.
Chris says they want to change the view of ageing from the perspective of the elderly and those around them, but acknowledges it is a slow process.
“We’re trying very hard to change it in multiple different ways, like keeping people engaged in the community. Having lots of community connections is one thing we are really striving for.”
As well as getting out into the community, the village is increasingly bringing the community to its residents. School students now work with residents to help them with mobile phones and iPads. Chris says the plan is to look for more ways to involve their elderly residents with the community.
She says both the elderly and those around them sometimes expect them to be elderly people who need help, whereas the goal now is to encourage everyone to help the elderly retain their independence and community engagement.
“It’s about not taking people’s independence away from them, but rather encouraging independence and decision making.”
