Activities at Lochduhar Care Home
Activities are the cornerstone of a wholesome home experience and our Activities Coordinators are always putting their creative minds to the test by organising new and exciting social events for residents to partake in. Of course, we take into account the likes and dislikes of those we support, so if someone doesn’t feel like trying something new, there will always be something on offer to reflect their personal interests. For the people who may just prefer some peace and quiet instead, we also offer one-to-one time that can be enjoyed with a nice cup of coffee or just a simple chat – whatever they desire.
Sally Gilder
Sally has been in the care sector since 1998. Sally joined the Lochduhar team in 2018 as a care assistant.
Sally is very passionate about the care she provides and the welfare of the residents. Working as a care assistant Sally was able to get to know the residents wants and needs to provide excellent person centred care to each individual. Then in 2020 Sally found the opportunity to become Head of Activities. Sally feels that she provides a different side to herself to promote an active and inclusive lifestyle through her role as Head of Activities.
Read our brochure 'Life-enriching activities' for more information about life in our care homes.
Read our brochure
Activities and Events Partnerships
As part of our bespoke life-enrichment programmes, we host a number of live virtual events in the home on a regular basis through a number of partnerships with places of interest and world class performance companies
Life at Lochduhar Care Home
Coronation virtual talk
Across our services Residents had a wonderful time participating in an interactive virtual talk with Pippa Catterall, Professor of History and Policy at the University of Westminster, where we delved into the rich history of coronations.
During the talk, we explored fascinating topics such as the coronation chair, the crown, and other significant aspects related to King Charles' upcoming coronation. Our residents were thrilled to have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the memoirs of past coronations from 1937 and 1953, as well as learning about the coronation oath and what to expect from the ceremony, including the music, guests, and pageantry.
Weekly Visit from North West Nursery
Every friday morning the children from North West Nursery come in to visit our home. They call it the big house.
Their subject this week was arts and crafts with our residents. Each of the residents get such enjoyment, as do the children.
The teacher says they always talk about the big house, and always look forwardf to joining us.
International Women's Day
We celebrated International Women’s day at the beginning of March.
Lochduhar is bursting with amazing women, residents as well as staff. We invited a local ukulele group to play for us. One of the musicians Peter, brought in his dog Ben. Ben was very friendly and the residents enjoyed seeing him and petting him.
We then had afternoon tea for the ladies, all prepared by our kitchen team.
We may have been celebrating all amazing women in our lives, but don’t worry, the men got some of the fancy cakes too!
An Afternoon of Puzzles
Some residents chose to do a puzzle of The Roman Baths, which has 250 pieces.
They set themselves a goal to finish the puzzle by the end of the day.
They were so interested, in finding the edges first and their ingenuity took over.
They managed to complete the puzzle by the end of the day and they were so happy with the end result, as you can see.
Home celebrate positive inspection
Lochduhar Care Home in Dumfries recently had an unannounced inspection by the Care Inspectorate and received a very positive report after being inspected against all six key questions. The Care Inspectorate inspected the home on 30th and 31st January 2023 (the report was released on 9th March 3023) and rated the home, run by Barchester Healthcare, with a Very Good rating against 2 key questions and a Good rating for the remaining 4 key questions.
The report stated that “Staff interactions with people experiencing care were warm, gentle and encouraging. The home had a welcoming and friendly atmosphere. Relatives we spoke with confirmed this had informed their decision making when choosing a home for their loved ones”. The report went on to say “We observed skilled activity staff carrying out events that people enjoyed. Relationships between people experiencing care were developed because of well provided activities.”
Historic Royal Palaces
Across our services, our residents were treated to a special virtual sensory storytelling session. Together with Art Historian Jon Sleigh and the Historic Royal Palaces community team, we explored several royal palaces through the theme of food, dining and celebration!
We enjoyed a fantastic taste-a-long experience from the comfort of our home, from Tudor treats to Stuart sweets. A lovely time was had by all.
Upcoming events
