Topping up residents wellbeing through meaningful activities

Making pizza may be a simple process for many people, but for the residents of SummitCare Smithfield, it is a meaningful activity that is fostering connections and enhancing their wellbeing.

A recently released video shows why the activity of gathering residents and their families together to make pizza is so popular and beneficial.

The video shows residents, family members and SummitCare team members rolling out pizza dough, decorating it with delicious toppings and cooking up a feast, while having a relaxed and happy time together.

SummitCare Manager Special Projects, Carla Beheram, says joining any of the many activities on offer at SummitCare is a personal choice for residents, but pizza making always attracts a group of participants.

“There are many benefits with an activity like pizza making,” she says, other than that the residents get to smell and taste the food that they prepared.

“From a physical perspective, residents can improve their manual dexterity – they can roll the dough, they can knead the dough, placing toppings on the pizza.

“From a social perspective, residents get to socialise with other residents and also we encourage as much as we can families to come and participate in the activity because that again helps the residents to connect with their community prior to coming to SummitCare,” Ms Beheram explains.

Stars of the film include Gwennyth, a 94-year-old resident who is fond of ham and pineapple pizza and looking forward to cooking with her good friend Alan.

Antoinetta came to Australia from Italy as a girl and has fond recollections of making pizza at her childhood home, memories she was able to share during the activity.

Addressing the need for meaningful activities in residential aged care is very important and a key focus for SummitCare, according to SummitCare chief executive officer Cynthia Payne.

“It is one of the pillars of our wellbeing approach, which focuses on delivering optimal physical, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing to all our residents and their families,” she says.

“Pizza making becomes a meaningful activity when it allows people to connect with others, use their senses and perhaps even remember lovely family gatherings.”

View the Pizza Making video at SummitCare Smithfield below.