Fareham care home shares uplifting video of residents and staff dancing to Don't Worry, Be Happy

Thousands of people have enjoyed a fun film produced at The Avenue Care Home, in Fareham, which shows staff and residents having a great time dancing and laughing together in isolation.

Lisa Hawkins, general manager of the 24-bed home, came up with the fun idea and each member of staff put their own spin on their section of the video.

It was designed to make family members smile as most are really missing their elderly relatives at the home, but it took off online when it was shared on Facebook.

Lisa said: ‘It’s unbelievable, it was just a bit of a laugh and it’s had quite a big impact. We’re all delighted.

‘It’s just to keep the spirits up and a lot of people do enjoy a laugh here. It’s served its purpose and brought a smile to our faces.’

The clip shows all kinds of staff including office staff, carers, cleaners, chefs, activity coordinators and laundry workers – all dancing and singing along to the cheery tune.

It shows a walk-through of the care home, passing through a living room where staff are dancing with residents who all have big smiles on their faces, with some people belting out lines of the song as the camera passes by.

A final shot shows a group of staff waving and smiling gathered out the front of the home, all enjoying the last part of the song.

Lisa added: ‘We just want to show it’s not all doom and gloom in the care homes. It’s one big family here.’

Families have enjoyed seeing updates about what the residents are up to on Facebook, so staff have tried to share as much happy and positive news as possible to keep everyone’s spirits up while they cannot be visited.

The home is registered to care for some people with dementia, so some of the residents are struggling with being out of their normal routines, meaning fun ideas like this can help to cheer everyone up and make the mood a bit lighter.

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