‘Out of this world’ - Disco drive-through brings smile to care home residents

A care home in Great Yarmouth organised a drive-through party to reunite residents and family members.

Burgh House care home put on the disco to bring a smile to the residents during the coronavirus lockdown.

Family members drove past the home as residents - who haven’t seen loved ones in eight weeks - lined up outside the building waving flags and dancing to music.

Joseph Greiner, 39, manager and director, said: “We had a donation from a staff member’s mother for a mobile disco for our residents. We were thinking we’ll have a bit of music in the garden. Then we thought, how can we make this about everybody, residents and family alike?

“We have the perfect carpark for people to drive in one way and out another and we thought perhaps a drive-through disco would be the way forward,” he said.

After discussions with the police and with staff wearing PPE equipment, residents lined up outside the home on Saturday afternoon (May 2) while a pair of DJs, from Disco Nation, played upbeat music and between 40 to 50 cars with members of people from the same household drove by waving hello to their relatives.

“I was staggered with the success of it. The emotional benefit to residents, family and staff has been out of this world,” Mr Greiner said.

“I didn’t give it too much thought but it really truly showed how powerful it was having residents who haven’t seen family members for eight weeks just to get sight of them, even from a distance.

“If this was that powerful I wonder what VE Day must have been like for the nation all those years ago,” he added.

A video of the disco posted to Facebook has got thousands of views.

“We’ve even had family members sign up to Facebook just so they can see the video,” Mr Greiner said.

MORE: Four coastal care homes recognised in region’s top 20Nathan Yaxley, 41, whose grandmother and father-in-law live at the 43-bed care home, said: “It was very emotional to be honest but such a wonderful idea. The staff all do a wonderful job to keep things as normal as possible for the residents. “I recall Joe [the manager] saying to me at the start, come and see your nanny when ever you want as it’s their home, not ours.” Mr Greiner added: “I would like to thank our staff for their dedication and commitment to our vision which is working hard to ensure the care home has the happiest and healthiest residents in Norfolk.”