A LEADING Devon home care provider has put a call out this month (May 2020) to people who may have spare jigsaws or puzzles they can pass on to its service users.
HomeLife Carers, operating across Devon, says the elderly and vulnerable it looks after are in desperate need of more things to keep them entertained at home during the current COVID-19 lockdown.
Katie Jewell, Regional Manager of HomeLife, which has offices in Barnstaple, Okehampton, Plymouth and Tiverton, says: “Many of the people we look after can’t afford to buy lots of things to keep them entertained during the restrictions and they don’t have internet access, internet enabled devices or the ability to use them.
“But they do need to keep their brains active. So, we’re launching a Puzzle Appeal and are asking anyone who may have puzzles they have already done and no longer need to pass them on via our branches in Barnstaple, Okehampton, Plymouth and Tiverton and we can then distribute them to those in need across Devon.”
Katie and her team of frontline carers are helping shield the vulnerable and elderly in Devon by looking after them in their own homes, while also protecting the NHS from unnecessary drains on its resources during this very difficult time.
“We’re suggesting people drop any puzzles in at our branches, which are located near food stores, when they do their shopping, so they don’t make any unnecessary trips away from home. We’ll be sure to take all necessary precautions regarding hygiene before passing them on to our service users.”
HomeLife delivers personalised home care supporting people with various medical needs who wish to stay living safely and comfortably in their own homes in Devon.
“Our office teams will redistribute the donated jigsaws on a weekly basis through our carers to those in need.
“We’re recommending our service users take up, or reinvigorate, hobbies at home, to not only keep them occupied during this time, but to also help keep their minds alert.
“Board games and jigsaws are great for keeping the mind active and healthy. The more pieces the better, as before you know it you will have spent a good portion of the day trying to fit all the pieces together!
“Other puzzle games such as Sudoku and word searches are also good for keeping the mind ticking over too. For those who are at home with a partner or family member living in the same household, strategic games such as chess are great for exercising your memory and can stimulate the growth of dendrites, which are the bodies that send out signals from the brain’s neuron cells.”
For more information about HomeLife and its Puzzle Appeal, please visit https://www.homelifecarers.co.uk.
