Henna party brings ‘joy’ to Indian resident Luana

A Honey Lane resident was welcomed to the home by hosting a special henna party to honour her culture.

Luana Moniz, aged 65, made Honey Lane Care Home her home in July. While getting to know Luana, who was born in Goa, the care home team discovered her love of henna and how the tradition has been an important ritual for her and her family over the years.

“I have always enjoyed having henna treatment, it’s something that we do together when family and friends gather for a celebration or special occasions, or just for fun!” said Luana.

“I love the artistic element of henna, the designs are beautiful and so creative. It’s brought me so much joy getting to share this tradition with my new friends at Honey Lane.

“The day was made extra special by my daughter Rey coming along to the party and getting involved with the fun.”

Luana spent her childhood in Goa. She then moved to Qatar where she lived for many years, before moving to England and making it her home.

The care home team, who were finalists in the ‘Wellbeing’ category at the Care Home Awards 2025, encourage residents to make wishes. Luana’s wish was to have a henna party, and the team were delighted to make it come true.

Lisa Gammalliere, lifestyle manager at Honey Lane Care Home, helped to organise the henna party. She said: “We organised for henna artist Rekha to visit the home, lots of our residents and team members were keen to take part, and everyone’s designs looked beautiful.

“Justin, one of our care assistants who is from India, offered to make traditional Indian food for everyone to snack on during the party, and we also had music and dancing.

“To honour Luana’s time in the Middle East, we had a belly dancer and drummer. Luana is a very good dancer, and it was wonderful to see her swaying to the music and laughing with her daughter.

“Luana is a very creative person. At Honey Lane she enjoys taking part in our arts and craft sessions, she loves to sit and colour, and she also joins in with any singing and dancing.”

Rey Moniz, Luana’s daughter, said: “The henna party was beautifully done, it was a lovely day, and Mum and I really enjoyed ourselves! There was such amazing attention to detail, including the delicious traditionally Indian food, a belly dancer, and stunning decorations.

“I can’t thank the care home team enough for making it happen. Mum really enjoys having henna done, so it’s wonderful to keep those traditions going.”

Angela Sacks, home manager and qualified dementia interpreter, added: “It’s very important to us that we understand and embrace our residents’ cultures and beliefs as it provides a sense of continuity and social wellbeing. We like to find out about different traditions and cultures so that we can all celebrate and learn together.

“I was thrilled to see how much fun Luana and her fellow residents had at the henna party. It was especially nice to have Luana’s daughter Rey join us for the afternoon too.”

The care home’s dedicated lifestyle team offers a range of meaningful activities tailored to the residents’ likes and abilities, with regular live entertainment.

Honey Lane Care Home is rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The 38-bed care home was a finalist at the Care Home Awards 2025 for Best for Wellbeing and finalists at the Dementia in Care Awards 2025 for Intergenerational Activity.