Cotman House Care Home, in Garfield Road, Felixstowe, launches dementia-friendly cinema club to make magic of the movies more accessible

A town care home has launched a new dementia-friendly cinema club to make the magic of the movies more accessible.

Cotman House Care Home, in Garfield Road, Felixstowe, had the ribbon cut on its new club by town mayor Cllr David Rowe on Monday, and will offer free screenings once a month to members of the public.

The Dementia Friendly Cinema Club was inspired by events the home’s wellbeing team put on for its residents, which has then evolved and is designed specifically for film fans from the area who are living with the illness.

The screenings will feature musicals and films that evoke reminiscence, and will have dementia-friendly modifications including a brighter screen and modified sound.

Kirsty Allan, manager of Cotman House, said: “We are thrilled to have launched our Dementia Friendly Film Club and encourage movie lovers in the local area to join us for a relaxed film experience in an environment that’s tailor-made for those living with dementia.

“We wanted to take something that our residents love and offer the same experience to the local community.”

The cinema room is a cosy space with chairs designed for sitting in comfort.

To enhance the experience, popcorn or popcorn-flavoured smoothies will be served.

Team members trained in dementia care will be on hand to support and there are accessible toilets close to the cinema room.

The Dementia-Friendly Cinema Club will run on the first Friday of every month, between 2.00pm and 3.00pm, and will have its inaugural screening on Friday with a classic musical.

There are 12 seats available for each screening which can be booked in advance by contacting Chantal on 07747 898 123 or emailing at csencier@caringhomes.org.

More details on planned screenings can be found on the home’s Facebook page.

Cotman House is part of the Caring Homes group.