CARING students have been working alongside elderly residents to help suggest a new place name for them to call home.
Darlington College health and social care students helped residents at North Park Care Centre, Darlington, draw up a shortlist of names to give a new identity to the care home’s middle floor.
Level 2 diploma students Brittany Adamson, 16, and Amelia Parker, 17, both of Darlington and BTEC level 3 students Shannon Hunter, 18, and Shannon Nuttall, 18, both of Darlington, chatted with residents to find out their favourite places, songs, colours, flowers, books, films and hobbies to come up with a list of words with which to create a selection of place names.
The proposed new identity for the second floor unit, which is currently home to 21 residents, will be voted on at the next residents/relatives meeting at the end of the month.
Care home manager Mark Culley said: “Our residents and their relatives were very keen that the current middle floor unit was given a proper name to make it sound more homely and less clinical.
“The top floor, which was opened by former MP for Darlington Alan Milburn, is known as ‘High Row’ so we asked the students, who are on placement here from Darlington College, to work with our residents to come up with some suggestions.
“The girls have been wonderful at communicating with our residents, finding out their ideas and gathering all the information together to come up with some great name suggestions.”
Residents, staff and students at the care home are hoping that the newly named unit will be opened by the Mayor and Mayoress of Darlington at an official plaque unveiling later in the year.
BTEC level 3 student Shannon Hunter, who hopes to train for a career in midwifery, said: “I began my placement at North Park Care Home in January and it has been a really good experience.
“Everybody is so welcoming and there are lots of opportunities to get involved working alongside the staff who care for the residents.
“It’s very flattering as students to have been asked to help residents come up with a name for their middle floor unit and this makes us feel a real part of North Park.”
Darlington College placement assessor for health and social care Mary Layfield added: “We have a long association with the home so it’s a real compliment for us to be asked to help.
“The girls have worked really hard on their communication skills, especially with residents that have dementia or who are hard of hearing, including making picture cards to help people that may find it hard to express their thoughts and ideas.
“It will be a lovely legacy for the college that our students helped residents here give their home a proper name.”
For more information on opportunities at Darlington College visit www.darlington.ac.uk.