A busy Christmas in store at the Domus Vi Ciudad de Murcia residence in the regional capital!

Festive activities to promote social and emotional wellbeing for residents at DomusVI centres all over Spain

Christmas means many different things to different people, but for the staff at DomusVi Ciudad de Murcia the traditional aspects of the festive season are a vital part of ensuring that all residents feel truly at home.

Only in this way can those who work at the residence all year round see that they are doing their job successfully, as the people they look after enjoy a time of year which can be very difficult for those who feel left out and forgotten, and to ensure that no stone is left unturned there are already numerous activities planned over the next month or so – and no doubt many more will be included on an impromptu basis!

• A Christmas card and poster workshop is being held in early January
• The children’s choir of the Colegio Luis Costa primary school perform a carol concert in mid-December
• A cookery workshop in which traditional Christmas sweets and biscuits are prepared
• The local music society offer another carol concert in the residence on 20^th December
• An excursion is being organized to the living nativity scene in Puente Tocinos, one of the largest and longest-standing events of its kind in Spain. The visit will be before Christmas.
• A range of activities are taking place on New Year’s Eve before the 12 grapes are eaten to see in 2025!
• There will be a visit to a New Year market in Murcia in early January
• In mid-January the new DomusVi Ciudad de Murcia celebrates its first anniversary!

That’s considerably more than many of us attempt in our “real” family homes!

The rationale behind the range of social activities at DomusVi Murcia

As well as being a lot of fun for all those taking part, there are also sound reasons for the social and learning activities at all DomusVi residences forming an integral part of the service provided, as outlined by Maria Teresa de Manuel, who is in charge of “person-centred attention” at the Ciudad de Murcia centre.

The main premise is that the individual resident is at the centre of all the services provided for them, taking centre stage and being allowed to make decisions taking account not only medical recommendations but also their own tastes, preferences, needs and wishes. This approach is applied to each resident as activities are provided to enable them to develop their abilities and to maximize their wellbeing.

A resident at DomusVi Ciudad de Murcia shows off the fruits of her labour at a pizza worshop!

Activities such as musical evenings, cookery, art, photography, dance, visits to animal rescue centres and even taekwondo are carried out throughout the year to guarantee not only the physical wellbeing of residents but also their emotional and social wellbeing. Physical activity might include sessions in the adapted gym or simply going for a walk, while emotional “exercises” include the use of new technologies and numerous others.

But apart from these individual activities, those with a social element, for example day trips, cultural visits, festive celebrations and traditions, are also crucial in guaranteeing the wellbeing of the elderly, promoting their autonomy and their social interaction in a comfortable environment. Workshops are one ideal setting in which residents can work together and help each other while remaining active and creative, while the use of new technologies can provide cognitive stimulation.

In Murcia, of course, the residence is blessed with a warm climate which makes it possible to enjoy the 3,000-square-metre garden area for many such activities, adding the benefits of the open air and natural surroundings to the positive aspects of group activities!

Meanwhile, one popular aspect of celebrating birthdays, holidays and special meals at DomusVi Ciudad de Murcia is that family members are more than welcome to join in, playing an active part in creating a warm and relaxed atmosphere. In fact, relatives, neighbours and local associations all regularly come in and take part in the day-to-day life of the centre.

Of special importance are the visits from local primary schools and even nursery schools or kindergartens, as inter-generational communication is especially enjoyable and beneficial for many residents! 

A real home from home for residents

All of these strategies help to create a real “home from home” for residents, where they can lead their own lives rather than having to follow the regime which might have been associated with residences of this kind in the past. This applies to both long- and short-term residents, and Cristina Pastor, the director of DomusVi Ciudad de Murcia, underlines that “we strive to be a real home where our residents actually feel at home, with close, personal, family-style care”.

Once again, Sra Pastor agrees that the role of relatives is a vital one, not only in creating a family atmosphere but also in terms of clarifying any doubt the residents themselves might have and of course receiving constant information from residence personnel.

Remember, DomusVi is there to provide a top-quality service and peace of mind for relatives all year round, always prioritizing the wellbeing of the individual resident over any other considerations.

Contact them for more information using the details below!