Residents living with dementia at a Sanctuary Care home in Prestwick have been enjoying some very nostalgic trips on three wheels thanks to Cycling Without Age Prestwick.
Ahead of Dementia Action Week (20 to 26 May), CWA Prestwick’s volunteers recently visited Queens Care Home with one of their trishaws, to take residents out for wonderful rides around the promenade.
The trips proved to be the perfect reminiscence activity, especially for the home’s residents living with dementia.
One of those was Grace Foulds, who was beaming from ear to ear during her ride along the promenade with the home’s activities leader Karen Smith and Cycling Without Age Prestwick volunteer Idris Crumlish, who piloted the trishaw.
It brought back happy memories for Grace of when she and her friends visited a hotel on the promenade for afternoon tea.
Karen said: “During the ride Grace was pointing out all the old houses and even pointed out her old house! It made her day. She was talking about how her house was right on the beach.”
The trishaws, which are piloted by volunteers, are used by the movement to help people with limited mobility to get out in the fresh air by getting back on their bikes.
Chris Cheales, from Cycling Without Age Prestwick said: “Our greatest reward comes from sharing the pleasure and thrill we see on the faces of our guests.
“We welcome all the support and encouragement we get from the staff at Queens and we look forward to a regular cooperation with CWA Prestwick.”
The group raises all the funds itself to enable it to offer rides to people in the area.
Volunteers will be visiting the home each week to ensure the residents continue to enjoy these very special trips.
If anyone would like to volunteer to ride the trishaws or support as co-pilots, you can contact Cycling Without Age Prestwick by emailing Margaret McCallum at mmc2@me.com
