Devonshire House's healthy living event!

Many of us like to keep ourselves fit and healthy. Eating well and getting enough exercise are part of our daily lives and help us feel our best.

When someone navigates profound changes in their life, like a brain injury, eating a nutrient rich diet and engaging with meaningful activities becomes even more important. Understanding this, our expert team at Devonshire House recently hosted an event to promote healthy eating and physical activity with the people we support.

The event centred around vibrant platters of nutrient-rich, fresh food and accessible, functional activities. With lots on offer, everyone at our specialist residential home in Manchester got involved!

I see a difference in the people we support when they engage with any type of physical activity. They might not want to do it every day. On the days they do, their smiles are bigger and their faces are brighter.

Jessica Thomas, Therapy Lead

The event was such a success, friends and family of the people we support, and our team popped along. Together, they explored the advantages of eating right and moving more. They even uncovered other big benefits for the people we support.

Devonshire House’s healthy living event was created by their dedicated Therapy Lead, Jessica Thomas. Before joining us in 2024, Jessica worked in sports education at a primary school. Her days were spent embracing fun but functional games and sporting activities with the children. Noticing how it boosted their wellbeing and brought them together, she knew it was something she wanted to implement when she joined us at Devonshire House.

“For many people, life after brain injury is often different to the life they had before. Mobility is often reduced because of physical changes. Unable to be as active as they once were, their weight may increase, leading to additional emotional problems.”

As our Therapy Lead at Devonshire House, Jessica understood the impact limited mobility was having on some of the people we support. As well as affecting their emotional wellbeing, it also affected their ability to perform daily tasks. This inspired Jessica to host a healthy living event and support people to re-engage with delicious, healthy food and fun activities, so they can feel their best!

On the day, the team at Devonshire House were blessed with clear skies and sunshine. Jessica and the service’s Activities Coordinator eagerly set up the activity stations in the morning. Wanting the day to feel informal and fun, they also decorated the service with balloons.

Drawing on her background in sports, Jess set up the event like a school sports day. She researched some sports activities that would be suitable for wheelchair users and designed the games so everyone could do each activity. She set up table-top bowling and bowling on the floor, table-top snooker and badminton, as well as throwing and catching games in the garden.

Our healthy living event was designed to be inclusive and considered everyone’s unique needs. We had accessible games and dysphagia-friendly food. It was inclusive, so everyone got involved and came together.

Jessica Thomas, Therapy Lead

The event started after the people we support finished their morning routines. Although Jess planned the party on a day that’s usually quieter at the service, some people had therapy sessions and other appointments throughout the day. The team supported them to attend these and then transition back to their fun-packed event.

All day, family and friends of both the people we support and our team at Devonshire House stopped by. Joining in with the festivities, they enjoyed the sporting activities Jessica had put together. They also enjoyed some healthy refreshments with the people we support.

Platters of fresh fruit and juices were served instead of traditional party food, like cakes, biscuits, and fizzy drinks. One of our dedicated Senior Support Workers assembled the colourful fruit platters and ensured the needs of each person was considered.

Some of our housemates at Devonshire House have dysphagia, so they only chose fruits that were safe for people with dysphagia. She explained:

“Traditional party foods, like cakes, aren’t always dysphagia friendly. They’re also not beneficial for physical and mental health. Having a balanced approach is what we advocate at Devonshire House. Living a balanced, healthy lifestyle has wider impacts, like increasing someone’s desire to socialise, as they start to feel better about and within themselves.”

Everyone got involved with the event. Carefully planned, inclusive activities, and lots of delicious refreshments encouraged everyone to participate.

The sporting activities provided lots of benefits to the people we support. Engaging in fun activities around the home delivered a functional approach to their rehab. Encouraging casual activities that involve the whole household eases the focus on their rehab, making it a fun part of the day!

For Jessica and the team, the biggest benefit was how the event united the household, supporting everyone to get to know each other better and build stronger bonds. Fully inclusive activities and food meant everyone could get stuck in!

Over the summer, the team plan to keep their sports activities set up in their courtyard. This way, the people we support can enjoy them whenever they want.

The team are also encouraging people to maintain their activity levels by embracing the activities they enjoyed at the event. Going outside to throw a ball or reaching up to hit balloons, all movement supports a healthier body and mind.

It’s important we create accessible activities for people with limited mobility to engage with. Even the smallest movements, like batting a balloon or throwing a ball, can have an impact on health – both physical and emotional.

Jessica Thomas, Therapy Lead

Jess notices a difference in the people we support when they engage in activities, no matter how small they are. Our team promote personal choice and respect that people might not want to engage in these activities every day. But Jessica and the team notice bigger smiles and brighter faces on the days when they do!