CARE HOME CUDDLES
FOR THE last year of her life, Rosie Sweet lived in a Jewish Care home in Bushey, where she was visited by her pregnant granddaughter Jenna Kay.
When her daughter Elise was born, Mrs Kay brought her along “and the residents would all get so excited to see her.
“Towards the end, my grandma suffered a bit from dementia and it became more difficult to have a full conversation with her. So we used to spend quite a bit of time just singing nursery rhymes. She’d really enjoy it and other residents would want to join in if we were in the common rooms.”
It sparked an idea Mrs Kay pitched to Jewish Care after her grandmother’s death — “starting a baby class that would run weekly in an old age home with the aim to bring happiness to other residents”.
Rosie’s Little Bubalas launched in May of last year with a Monday morning class at the charity’s Rubens House in Finchley.
It runs for 40 minutes, standard length for a baby class. Typically, there are eight mothers with babies and 15 residents.
“The residents sit in a big circle,” Mrs Kay explained. “The mums sit in a circle on the floor. I’ve got my speakers with a bit of music and we all sing together, doing the actions of some of the songs.
“I’ve bought loads of props like shining stars and pom-poms and we try to make it as interactive as possible. The kids really love it. Some of the older ones who are a bit more aware might be a bit shy when they come in because it’s a different atmosphere from what Jenna Kay and Elise they are used to. But then you see as they become more confident, they enjoy it more.” Coral Crann, 32, began taking son Gabriel eight months ago. “We love going,” she said. “It’s great for me because I get to see some of my friends. It’s really entertaining for Gabriel. “It’s lovely to see the smiles on the residents’ faces. They get so much out of it. They’re clapping and singing along a lot of the time. It’s one of the highlights of our week.” A second Rosie’s Little Bubalas group was set up at the end of last year at Jewish Care’s Betty and Asher Loftus Centre in Friern Barnet. Its success is bittersweet for Mrs Kay, who wishes that her grandmother could have lived to see it. “I know that she would have absolutely loved it. Being with children was always the thing that made her happiest.” Rosie Sweet, in whose memory Rosie’s Little Bubalas was started