Activities at Barchester
Activities make up the most important part of all our days and at Barchester we ensure a variety that reflects the interests and capabilities of all the people we support. The team is trained to understand the importance of stimulating engagement as well as ensuring residents have the opportunity to enjoy passions and creative hobbies that are personal to them. All group and individual activity is designed to not only mentally and physically stimulate the people we care for but to enhance their life skills and feelings of purpose and self-worth.
Life-enriching activities
At Barchester we celebrate life through everything we do. Life in our homes is about more than just the care needed, so our teams are trained and committed to enriching the lives of all our residents, through stimulating the mind, the body and the soul.
Every resident is unique. From spending time and learning about each and every one, we can support positive well-being through a wide range and choice of events, outings, connections in the community and tailored activities. We’re interested in residents’ history, their life stories, the things they love and the things they don’t. We encourage social connections through engagement with residents whether in their personal space, or in the heart of the home with others, using technology and expertise as appropriate, to ensure everyone receives the support that adds enrichment to their life.
Unknown block: activities_carousel--block_1
Creativity and stimulating the mind
We value the experiences and life stories of every person in our care, and learn so much from discussing their lifetime of creative hobbies and achievements. That’s why we support residents to pursue old hobbies or learn something new, with opportunities that stimulate the mind, encourage social interactions and offer a great sense of achievement in everything they do.
Cultural interests
Fulfilling interests and keeping the mind active is an important part of each day, so our homes are filled with discussions and activities designed to stimulate memory, and encourage problem solving and logical thought processes. By understanding a person’s cultural history, what skills and games they currently enjoy and the topics that interest them most, we can tailor activities to their unique needs and preferences.
Keeping active
Maintaining an active lifestyle is thought to boost the immune system and improve well-being as we age. By always taking a person’s ability into account we support residents to keep active and have fun - whether that’s physical activity in groups through timetabled classes or supporting everyday movement that promotes independence. We’ve seen excellent participation in weekly group sessions, which are designed as fun activities for all abilities, and one-to-one activities are always available too.
Community
We know how important it is for residents to maintain links with the wider community, which is why we ensure there’s lots of opportunities to engage with all ages. From school choirs and pen pal schemes, and history talks to knitting clubs. These engaging purposeful activities enable residents to stay connected with the things they love. We recognise the special impact that volunteers have by choosing to spend time getting to know our residents and their families, and supporting with events and activities.
Life stories
Every life is unique and a tale worth telling. For many residents, discussing or remembering the past brings back positive memories which they enjoy recounting and is an important exercise for cognitive function. Reminiscence helps us to understand who a person was, as well as who they are now. Our homes include reminiscence prompts from certain time periods that be used for activities, to aid discussion topics or even as way-finding devises that promote independence. Listening and getting to know a person’s life experience and history also helps us to understand their likes and dislikes, enabling us to truly offer personalised care.
