Derbyshire dementia care home postcard project 'spirals'

A care home for people living with dementia has been inundated with holiday postcards following an appeal.

Staff at Cedar Court care home in Bretby, Swadlincote, asked for holiday stories in July and has received about 1,000 to share with residents.

The postcards have come from UK resorts as well as Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the US.

Louise Baker, from the care home group, said the project "spiralled" after an appeal on the home's Facebook page.

Ms Baker said the the response has been "phenomenal" and had brought residents "happy tears of nostalgia" with between 30 and 40 postcards arriving each day.

"We hoped that residents would see pictures and read about events such as ice cream, and chips on the beach, and remember their own childhoods or time spent with their children growing up," she said.

Ms Baker added: "Stimulus such as this are so important for the elderly.

"The postcards have given residents something to smile about, they are so excited that strangers want to send them mail, and find out about their lives.

"It's been pretty wonderful."

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