Celebrating life at Barchester

Huge thank you to our friend of the home, Charles, for bringing a military vehicle to our home as part of our VE Day celebrations. It was Charles's Birthday, he still visited our home. We made sure to sing him Happy Birthday! 

We thank you for making the afternoon fabulous for our residents! As well as this, we enjoyed a themed performance by Nicky Downs, VE Day themed afternoon tea and friend of the home Pat Blake using flags with our residents to exercise to a musical performance bedside and showing her family wartime memorabile.         

To celebrate the start of The Chelsea flower show, we enjoyed flower arranging in the home, creating beautiful displays to have in our rooms and the community. 

We shared stories of our favourite flowers and what our gardens are like from our childhoods.      

We at Oakland’s offer and ensure we include all our residents with our activities and as we have a large percentage of our residents are cared for in their rooms its important we meet their interests. 

Geoff and Terence have always been keen gardeners and so we decided to start small with them planting some sunflower seeds that they can then watch grow on their windowsills. Both gentleman were really happy to still be able to take part in the gardening experience.    

Here at Wheatlands, our residents enjoy regular guest speakers. Bridget, our resident ambassador, asked if we could have an ear health talk. We invited Specsavers along for our coffee morning. 

The residents enjoyed an informative talk about the importance of good ear health, how to prevent common ear health issues. Everyone had the chance to learn more about hearing health, receive advice and ask plenty of questions. Jackie was delighted to find out that Specsavers home visits can help, and provide continued support here at Wheatlands without her having to travel.

Residents were even more delighted with the delicious cakes our guest speaker brought along and their new bags that Barbara kindly modelled for us!               

Residents at Lydfords were pleasantly surprised to see animals such as Kittens and Guinea Pigs roaming around their lounge as Bex from Pet Pals Therapy recently paid a visit.

Residents love to welcome our smallest of friends. The youngest little one is just 9 weeks old. Jiggy Wrigglers Kidderminster, Ludlow and Bridgnorth runs a special vintage session designed especially for care settings. The bond our residents and the children have made is really magical, and we can't wait to see how much they have grown when we welcome them back in July.

Music and interaction with others can stimulate positive memories associated with happy moments in a person's life. Upbeat music promotes physical movement and general mobility along with the release of endorphins, leading to laughter, happiness and a feeling of positivity. 

Intergenerational activities bring together people from different generations and have a positive impact on both our residents and also the children. The room was filled with joy, happiness and lots of bubbles! It was truly a magical morning for everyone.       

We were delighted to welcome Penryn Camera Club for an afternoon of photography and conversation. Residents enjoyed viewing a collection of images from Uganda, South Africa and a flower market in Paris, which sparked plenty of discussion and happy memories.

Residents enjoyed a lovely relaxing afternoon with Debbie from Deb's Mindful Movement. We all joined in with various gentle movements designed to increase mobility and relieve tension and anxiety. 

Yoga in a care home, particularly chair-based yoga, provides a safe, accessible way to improve residents' physical and mental health and regular sessions help maintain flexibility, decrease depression, and boost their mood.     

Our lounge was filled with music, laughter, and pure joy as we gathered for another wonderful community choir session! With the ever-talented Liz from Liz Latta's Music Matters at the keys, everyone sang along enthusiastically to some of their favourite uplifting classics. From toe-tapping tunes to heartfelt melodies; the magic of music filled the home!

Not only is singing incredibly enjoyable, it provides a meaningful opportunity to connect deeply with one another. The fondly known melodies evoke spirited memories, promoting reminiscence, movement, and some of the biggest smiles you could ever witness!

Our monthly community choir is open to all ages and abilities. Please do let us know if you would like more information on joining. A huge thank you to lovely Liz and to all who came along to join in the fun!