People who receive care from Home Instead East Dorset and Blandford have received a range of crafted gifts during February.

To coincide with their wellbeing month, a handful of caregivers from the local home care company decided to show their clients how much they are appreciated by creating thoughtful presents.

For Valentine’s Day, caregivers handcrafted cards and baked biscuits to distribute to the elderly couples they care for. Caregivers have also enjoyed knitting and crocheting mini friendship flowers, which were then presented to all Home Instead clients alongside a poem written by community engagement lead, Jayne Perks.

The poem reads:

I’m here for you at the crack of dawn,
I’m here for you when the days seem so long,
When you are feeling blue and think you can’t go on,
I’m here, I’ll cheer ‘let’s carry on!’
Yes I’m your caregiver, but most of all your friend,
And you are part of our Home Instead family forever more.

Jayne Perks commented, “Many of our clients have had to shield for nearly a year now, as the pandemic has presented health risks, and many have been unable to see their families and friends. During this lonely time for many older people, we wanted to remind our clients that we are here for them and care about them no matter what, and that their wellbeing is our number one priority.”

One client commented, “The flower and the poem brought a smile to my face. At the moment, every day is similar, and we don’t have much going on, so it was lovely to get a little gift to brighten our day and remind us that our caregivers are always here for us.”