Glenisla’s recipe for healthy living

Glenisla Care Home in Keith has been awarded a Nutrition Champion certificate by Health and Social Care Moray, recognising the team’s work to improve nutrition and hydration for residents.

The award follows the home’s involvement in Nutrition and Hydration Week 2026, where staff took a whole-home approach to making healthy choices more visible and part of daily life.

Residents and staff took part in activities including smoothie making, quizzes, nutrition displays and a healthy meal challenge, helping spark conversations and raise awareness in an engaging way.

A standout feature was “Hector H₂O”, a colourful hydration character created by Glenisla nurse Sara Parsons to highlight the importance of staying well hydrated, particularly for older people.

Sara said: “I wanted to create something that would catch people’s attention and make the message easy to understand. Hector H₂O helped bring that to life in a way that was fun and engaging for residents, as well as visiting children and families.”

She added: “Hydration is so important, especially for older people, and this was a great way to start conversations and encourage people to drink more throughout the day.”

The initiative has led to greater engagement from residents, with more people willing to try different foods and drinks, while staff feel more confident supporting good nutrition and hydration.

Brenda Harper, Manager at Glenisla, said: “This was a real team effort and it’s fantastic to see the hard work recognised. The team came up with creative ways to make nutrition and hydration part of daily life, and the response from residents has been really positive.”

Many of the ideas introduced during the week are now part of everyday routines, helping to support residents’ health and wellbeing.