A west Dorset home is taking the positives out of the coronavirus pandemic, which as well as being difficult and challenging, has been a period of ‘closeness, bonding and positivity’.

Staff at Harbour House in West Bay have been quite creative in putting on activities for residents, they have been with other care providers with the home’s head of catering Shane Affleck cooking a lobster for someone in lockdown in the community.

They have been given scrubs made by West Dorset Scrubbers, which have really helped, and families come and wave to residents through the window.

The home has also installed two benches three meters apart with sunshades so that family members can visit a resident for up to 20 minutes. The team has developed a booking system and will provide appropriate PPE for the family member. It means they can stay safe

Anna Knight, registered manager at Harbour House, said: “Although we have been through difficult and challenging times, Covid-19 has been a very interesting and enlightening time for all of us here at Harbour House.

“Our usual activities have changed significantly, and we have been able to ‘make do and mend’ by providing in-house activities instead of inviting performers, speakers and taking trips outside. It has been a period of real closeness, bonding and positivity during what can only be described as an extraordinary time for our home.

“Our lives have had to slow down, and, without the usual hustle and bustle of life, we have all enjoyed our time together and experienced some deeply moving and amazing times together. This includes families and friends who - via Skype, waves through windows and letter writing - have managed to keep all our residents and staff happy and positive.

“Although it has been tough, we have discovered that even in uncertain times, we can overcome anything and our friendships with each other have grown immensely.”