Activities at Westergate House Care Home
Our activities team are great at building the activities programme around the likes and interests of the people we care for. Ensuring that our social events offer fun and adventure is part of the ethos of our home; it’s important that those we support can enjoy an active and social lifestyle. Of course, there will always be those who prefer peace and quiet, and in these instances, a cup of tea and a chat are always welcomed.
Lee Austin
My name is Lee and I am the Head of Lifestyle here at Westergate House.
I support our residents daily to do the things they enjoy and it is extremely important to me that we are offering a premium and person centred service to each resident. I support our residents on a daily basis by providing meaningful and quality activities either in groups or on a 1:1 basis, to help encourage and build confidence while creating an enjoyable environment for everyone. Westergate House is the home of our residents, we as staff are working in it, so it is extremely important to me that we are respectful of that, while offering a premium and person centred service to each and every resident.
I am a trained actor and professional vocalist and not shy in making a fool of myself. If I do that every day to put a smile on our residents faces then I’m happy I have played my part, along with the rest of the amazing team, to brightening their day. If you hear someone singing along the corridor or see them dancing in the lounges, it will probably be me.
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 Westergate House Care Home
Dementia Action Week
During the week there was reminiscence about seaside fun and summer holidays. Residents spent time creating seashore rummage boxes that triggered wonderful memories of family getaways and spending time at the beach as children; ice-creams were enjoyed and pictures of traditional family days out were shared. Singer, Mitchell Armstrong, entertained staff and residents with tunes from decades past, and the week culminated in a dementia café tea party where residents and their families enjoyed a fabulous high tea in the dementia community.
Jubilee Celebrations
Excitement has been running high at Westergate House Care Home in Fontwell where residents and staff have been busy making Jubilee-themed decorations and whipping up a storm of red mocktails and celebratory cakes with the help of head chef Chris in preparation for the Jubilee. Staff and residents at the home put their heads together and came up with a plan for their celebrations fit for a Queen. Over the bank holiday weekend the home held a Pimms and strawberries afternoon, coverage of the televised events, a royal quiz, a garden party with musical entertainment and a carvery lunch. The whole home came together to celebrate our longest reigning monarch and reminisce about what she means to each and every one of us.
Town Crier
A beautiful sunny day provided the perfect back-drop for the display of 200 steel forget-me-nots, a sculpture created to celebrate the memory of those who were lost. Local people were invited to join the event to reflect and remember loved ones; poems, passages and memories were shared, and copies of special words were gathered by Martha Pusey and her team for publication in a book of remembrance.
Carers Week
Residents at Westergate House Care Home in Fontwell, celebrated National Carers’ Week last week. Residents wanted to thank all the wonderful staff at the home, whose hard work and dedication make a real difference to the lives of those living in their care. Carers Week is an annual event to raise awareness of caring, highlighting the challenges carers face, and recognising the contribution they make to our residents, families and communities throughout the UK. The theme for Carers Week this year is ‘Making caring visible, valued and supported’ - to shine a light on all those who work tirelessly behind the scenes to care for vulnerable people in our communities. The week culminated in an ice cream van at the home where staff and residents enjoyed ice creams in the beautiful summer sunshine.
Jubilee Celebrations
Excitement has been running high at Westergate House Care Home where residents and staff have been busy making Jubilee-themed decorations and whipping up a storm of red mocktails and celebratory cakes with the help of head chef Chris in preparation for the Jubilee. Staff and residents at the home put their heads together and came up with a plan for their celebrations fit for a Queen. Over the bank holiday weekend the home held a Pimms and strawberries afternoon, coverage of the televised events, a royal quiz, a garden party with musical entertainment and a carvery lunch. The whole home came together to celebrate our longest reigning monarch and reminisce about what she means to each and every one of us.
Dementia Artwork
Westergate House, Fontwell, were delighted when staff member, Rose Prince, who has worked at the home for two years, decided to base her final submission for her Foundation Diploma in Art & Design with UAL, on her experience as working as a Care Assistant in the dementia community.
Rose, who takes a place at University Arts London in Chelsea this September, reflected on the needs of the residents at Westergate House and created a HUG by LAUGH lamb (a suggestion drawn from the Alzheimer’s Society website) which she adapted to the unique needs of the individuals she works with. Rose’s lamb, seen in the picture, is weighted and therefore provides a sensory ‘hug’ for the resident when held; there is a playlist entitled ‘Memory Lane’ with popular tunes taken from the 1950s onwards, a fragrant scent of lavender to provide relaxation and a sense of calm, as well as a heat pad to enhance the sensation of a hug. Rose also made a sensory blanket with tactile objects attached to stimulate memories and senses, as well as a beautiful piped cushion decorated with characterful images based on her observations from working in the dementia community.
