The Richmond Retreat
The Richmond Retreat idea started when we sadly lost one of our long-term residents Graham Richmond last year.
The family very kindly donated £5,000 to the home with a hope that we would purchase something that would benefit our residents. After a few meetings everyone agreed that we should use the money to, not only to benefit our residents but as a tribute towards Graham. The Richmond Retreat is a sensory based room that promotes well-being and relaxation for our residents living with dementia.
The family were very supportive with the decision, and we added little touches of some of Grahams favourite things such as being outdoors, bird song and his love of living in Sturminster Newton. The room includes mood lighting, waterfalls, plants, comfortable seating, bird music, a picture donated by a local artist named Charlotte England and a wallpaper mural of the Sturminster Newton Mill. We are hoping that this room will be enjoyed by our residents and also welcome the families to enjoy the space with their loved ones too. We recently had the ‘official’ opening with a toast of wine and the cutting of the ribbon. Gillian said “What a lovely space, I feel very relaxed, and the picture of the Mill is very impressive”