At Maidstone Care Centre, General Manager Jacqui Gregg and the team are committed to supporting the residents to live fulfilling and engaging lifestyles.
When Bruce Argue moved in to the Nursing, Dementia and Residential home in Boxley Road, Maidstone Kent in May of this year, the team were delighted to discover that Bruce was an established artist with his own website www.bruceargue.artist.com.
Part of the home’s moving in process is the ‘getting to know you’ sessions so it was very early on that the team learnt of Bruce’s artistic flair and skills.
At 84 years old, Bruce, who describes himself as being “young at heart”, showed from an early age an interest and instinctive talent, ‘I can remember, I was just 7 years old when I did my first painting and it went on from there. I’ve never had a lesson and my work has been shown at the Royal Academy.’
Soon the residents and the team at the home were viewing pieces of Bruce’s art with joy and wonderment.
‘There was a buzz that was created when we knew that we had a published artist staying with us. What was wonderful was that Bruce was very gracious and happily talked about his experiences and passion for art and wanted to share his passion with everyone.’ – Georgia Williams, Lifestyle Assistant.
It was Bruce himself who suggested that he would very much like to hold a beginners art class for his fellow residents.
Bruce’s wish was to bring a freedom of expression for those who joined in the class.
~ “Art is fun, and it can give you great pleasure, this is what I wanted to show the other residents who joined in my first class.” ~ Brue Argue
The Lifestyle Team worked with Bruce to identify the resources he would need to run the class and other specifics such as the best location within the home and how long the class should last. Once the class was advertised, residents were eager to sign up and the class was fully booked!
During the class, those who took part, expressed their thoughts on the class. Maureen shared, “I’m having a really good laugh and learning a lot about art. Before the class I couldn’t even draw a square.”
After the success of the first lesson there are now plans for there to be a regular Bruce’s Arts Class, which the home’s Lifestyle Team will support.
Maidstone Care Centre are able to make a significant difference to those they care for through their approach in recognising the importance of a resident’s life, their history, hobbies and interests and the role they play in their families lives and community. They pride themselves on ensuring everyone is acknowledged as an individual, who is valued and respected as part of the Maidstone Care Centre’s community.
