Residents are riding high
RESIDENTS at Good Shepherd Nursing Home are riding in style, with golf buggy tours of the Palmetum the activity of the moment.
The golf buggy is a new addition at the nursing home, with residents quick to em- brace the chance to get out and about.
Enthusiastic residents who aren’t so mobile any more eagerly anticipate the fortnightly golf buggy tour day, which sees anywhere from 30 to 80 residents take a ride through the botanical gardens next to the home.
Diversional therapist co- ordinator Andrea Elson said they’d had the golf buggy since before Christmas and it had since become one of the home’s most popular activities.
“Not everyone wants to play bingo,” she said.
“You just don’t realise how much it means to them to be able to get out.
“They love the breeze and seeing the wildlife.
“It’s taken off better than I thought it would.”
Four residents and two staff can go on each ride, travelling through the gardens and along the river.
The golf buggy has been decorated with tropical stickers and now makes quite a stir around the neighbourhood as it travels along, usually with music playing.
“We’ve had lots of people hanging out of the tea rooms waving to us,” Ms Elson said.
“Cars will beep their horns at us.”
Ms Elson said while the scheduled days were the most popular, residents had the chance to take tours on other days as well.
“We’ve had grandparents with their grandchildren or great- grandchildren who’ve come to visit,” she said.
“One woman went on it the other day ... the staff said she didn’t stop talking about it for days.”
You just don’t realise how much it means to them to be able to get out DIVERSIONAL THERAPIST CO-ORDINATOR ANDREA ELSON