Team members from Okeley Care Home in Chelmsford recently made Christmas a bit more magical for three of their family members who use wheelchairs.
Providing accessible activities is a daily priority for the team at Okeley Care Home, but some experiences can pose challenges for those with limited mobility. Ice skating is often one such activity, but with the support of Riverside Leisure Centre, the team made it possible for three individuals to enjoy the joys of ice skating while remaining in their wheelchairs.
While researching local attractions, they discovered Riverside Leisure Centre’s accessible ice skating, which uses specialist equipment to allow everyone to participate. The team, impressed by this innovative adaptation, decided to offer this experience to some of their family members at Okeley Care Home.
After asking members of their care home community who would like to take part, Shirley, Coral, and Vera enthusiastically said yes!
The trio, alongside team members from Okeley Care Home were all excited for their trip the ice rink! After arriving and being welcomed to the leisure centre, the group took some time to admire skaters gracefully gliding across the ice.
As team members from Okeley got their skates on, they were assisted with making the ladies’ wheelchairs accessible for the ice rink. To do this, they attached boards underneath the wheels so they would glide along the ice.
Team members, dressed in festive elf costumes, guided each wheelchair along the rink, holding onto the back for support. They were all amazed to see how this simple device made it possible for wheelchair users to experience ice skating, and before long, they were cruising around the rink.
For Shirley, the outing brought back cherished memories of ice skating in her younger years. Vera also described the experience as wonderful, though she wished she could skate on her own like the younger skaters she admired.
It was a brilliant experience for everyone involved! Not only did Shirley, Coral and Vera love the opportunity to experience ice skating, but they also relished in the festivities of the activity during the countdown to Christmas. Meeting members of their community on the ice rink was also a highlight of the day, as they exchanged Christmas wishes for the week ahead.
