More than skin deep
At Drymmau Hall, beauty in the widest sense is at the heart of our ethos. Beauty care is more than skin deep and looking after our residents’ hair, nails and grooming is quietly essential to what we strive to achieve here, supporting dignity, identity, meaningful human contact as well as clinical wellbeing. It is therefore not ‘just cosmetic’ but at the heart of our person-centred care.
Our Activities’ Coordinator, Leila, and Carla, one of our Care Assistants at Drymmau Hall, bring about this person-centred care. They have learned from their experience that caring for hair and nails helps residents ‘feel more like themselves’ in a powerful way, as individual adults with unique identities and not just residents. Sometimes our residents talk to us about the fear of ‘losing themselves’ and investing in personal appearance and a little pampering on a regular basis helps anchor their identity and give a sense of confidence and self-worth. As the marketing tag for L’Oréal says, “Because you’re worth it.”
Leila and Carla work with the women and men who are part of our family here at Drymmau. For example, Carla, who used to be a professional hairdresser, will give the women a blow-dry after their showers, which she believes is as effective as any prescribed medicine. For as well as looking good, the women benefit from close connection and a good chat.
Leila is able to pamper the women, having their nails, cut, filed and polished, on a one-to-one basis in their rooms if they so wish. Really popular are her nail sessions in the communal lounge where the women will choose their preferred colour of polish from a selection that Leila brings in. Apparently, peachy colours, light corals and pale shades are this year’s on-trend favourites and the women enjoy the relaxation of the manicure while chatting and listening to music. Leila has her ‘regulars’ just as there would be in an outside setting, and ‘P‘ ‘CJ‘ and ‘A‘ are nails’ enthusiasts!
Our men don’t lose out either, and Leila cuts nails and also offers hand massage which is not just good for the bones and the muscles and joints, but a fantastic stress buster. And importantly, an opportunity to engage in meaningful chat which sometimes men find hard to do.
We always aim to enable personal choice for our people and ways of maintaining connection, joy and a sense of self. Beauty care is an essential part of this and way more than skin deep.
“There is nothing more important than being close to people.”
Leila, Activities’ Coordinator, Drymmau Hall
“Pampering is a chance to spend time with people – they love it.”
Carla, Care Assistant, Drymmau Hall