Celebrating life at Barchester

Here at Edingley Lodge our Knit and Natter group is a popular weekly event that a lot of our residents and even their guests enjoy.

The group is about being social and interactive as well as ensuring residents can still enjoy their favourite hobbies and learn new skills.

It is proven that knitting has many positive benefits including reducing anxiety, boosting confidence, it can help reduce the risk of memory loss, and empower our residents as well as engaging multiple senses.

Edingley lodge was transformed into Graceland to mark what would have been Elvis Presley’s 89th birthday on 8 January.

It is estimated that Elvis has sold over one billion records worldwide so to honour the undisputed King of Rock & Roll, the staff and residents enjoyed a fantastic day of music, fun and dancing.

This afternoon we had a live performance from Russel and everyone got involved & enjoyed an afternoon of great entertainment.

Community involvement is a crucial aspect of our society, and it's heart warming to hear about people reaching out and inviting others to join in their activities. Recently, Fiona from Snowdrop Place Care Home - Barchester Healthcare was kindly invited to the Eastleigh Men's Shed to meet the guys and the work they do.

The Eastleigh Men's Shed is a community project that provides a space for men to come together and work on various projects, from carpentry to metalworking. The project is designed to tackle social isolation and loneliness in men and promote mental and physical well-being.

Fiona's visit to the Eastleigh Men's Shed was an excellent opportunity to learn more about the project and their work. She got to meet the guys and see the different projects they were working on, from making birdhouses to repairing old bicycles. She was amazed by the skills and creativity of the men and their dedication to the project.

Community involvement is essential for the well-being of our society, especially for our retired citizens. It is a great way to tackle social isolation and loneliness amongst the elderly, who may feel disconnected from the community. It also allows different generations to come together, share experiences, and learn from one another.

Fiona's visit to the Eastleigh Men's Shed is an excellent example of how community involvement can positively impact society. It's heart warming to see people reaching out and inviting others to join in their activities, and we hope to see more of these initiatives in the future.

When Jean came for ‘Tea and a Tour ‘ at Cedars she got chatting with our General Manager Sam Humphries.
She told Sam how much she missed swimming and hadn’t been for ages. Sam had a chat with our Activities Coordinator, Angela and a plan was hatched.
Following the tour, Jean joined us for a respite stay to recharge her batteries, enjoying some TLC, good company, good food and the family atmosphere that exists here at Cedars.

During her stay, Jean, Sam, Angela and another Cedars resident, Val, hopped on our minibus and headed off to Romsey Rapids and enjoyed the Older Adult Lane Swimming Session. 

The ladies had such a wonderful time in the pool and enjoyed a visit to the cafe afterwards.

Our mission is for our residents to flourish, enjoy life, continue with their hobbies and interests and we do everything we can to make this happen.
 
This year we have worked our magic to make our residents wishes come true……… Golf, Fishing, Swimming, The Races, The Theatre, Mottisfont Rose Garden, Fish and Chips at the Seaside, Boat trip….. the list goes on.

Santa paid us an unexpected flying visit today to deliver a delightful Christmas tree for the residents on memory lane and a luxurious hamper to be won on Friday at our charity light switch on.

Mischievous Santa just couldn't resist photos with our residents before playfully disrupting the musical activity, followed by a quick freshening up in our lovely hair salon before leaving us.

Elgar Court Care Home and the Friends of Malvern Community Hospital are running a 'Best Snowflake' competition.

Primary and pre-school children are welcome to enter.  Snowflakes can be decorated in anyway, but no larger than A4 please.

Submissions must be completed by Friday 15th December. 

There will be prizes for the most Christmasy, most fun and the snowflakiest snowflake!  One prize for each primary and preschool child.  

Our wonderful residents will judge the Snowflakes on Monday 18th December (prizes will be given out on 19th December).  

What an absolutely joyful morning when we were joined by some young visitors who came along to enjoy our monthly, intergenerational 'Corrina Tots' and 'Rhyme-time' session, in collaboration with Camberley Library.

The children bought with them their infectious energy and laughter which added to the warm and cheerful atmosphere which was a wonderful, uplifting start to the week for everyone!

A HUGE thank you to all who joined us and we look forward to hosting our 'Corrina Tots Christmas Party', on Monday 4th of December, from 10.30 - 12:00 - all are welcome to join us for festive fun, food & refreshments!

It's World Menopause Day! 

A day dedicated to breaking the stigma and highlighting the support available to improve health and well-being for those experiencing menopause.

What better day to announce the next Menopause Cafe Wimborne will take place at Hyacinth House, 28th November 6.30pm-8pm, hosted by Rona Jones and Nicki Curtis. 

Rona said “For many people, menopause is a long road and one that still isn’t talked about very much, although there has been more media coverage recently. I believe that we have much to gain by sharing our experiences and so, inspired by a BBC documentary on the menopause, I am setting up a local Menopause Café for people to meet up and chat over tea and cake in a safe, non-judgemental space.”

This is a completely free event including refreshments! 

For more information search Facebook for "Menopause Cafe Wimborne"; they have a public page and a private group. https://www.menopausecafe.net/

Tickets are available on Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../menopause-cafe-wimborne...

Cheers! We are rejoicing the King’s Coronation at Elgar Court, and although we may not be fully open yet, we all celebrated early with a glass of fizz (it was sparkling elderflower).

We cannot wait to see everyone’s posts on their own unique way of celebrating this historic event. Don’t forget to tag us in on Facebook pages with #elgarcourt to be selected for an afternoon Cream Tea and Prosecco!

Best wishes to all and God Save the King!

Why not make an appointment to visit our Marketing suite and see how we can care for you or a loved one? Please contact us on: 07827 065 873

Win an afternoon Cream Tea & Prosecco for four people

For a chance to win, Tag us on your Facebook page with the picture of you enjoying this wonderful historic event, or email your picture to us.   We can’t wait to see them!

Closing date - Tuesday 9 May 2023.   Your entries need to tag Elgar Court on your Facebook page, or emailed to: naomi.steward@barchester.com

For more information, please click here for the leaflet >> Elgar Court (barchester.com)

Our new Marketing Suite had a very busy Open Weekend showing people our beautiful new home.   Our visitors enjoyed looking around the suites their loved ones can move into this summer, and were impressed with what they saw and what will be offering our residents.   

The Barchester hospitality team made a wonderful selection of home made cakes and drinks for everyone to enjoy over questions about the care we will offer and the delightful lifestyle in our home. 

Naomi, the Home Services Advisor said, “We were delighted to see so many people this weekend and finally meet them in person!  It is so important to continue to build  a great relationship with our clients, and we are looking forward to them moving in this summer.   Thank you everyone for coming to see us”.

Our Marketing Suite will be open by appointment five days a week.  Please do contact us to discuss your needs and arrange to show you around and the Elgar Court Team will look forward to meeting you.  Pictured from left to right are:  Kirsty Brook, Administration Manager, Naomi Steward, Home Services Manager, Liz Brooks, Deputy Manager and Sarah Cadwallader, General Manager of Elgar Court.

For more information visit our website: Elgar Court Care Home in Malvern| Barchester Healthcare or call us on: 01684 880447

Staff and residents at Barchester’s Spen Court Care Home in Heckmondwike were treated to a chocolate extravaganza courtesy of Ellie Prail and Paul Vernon from one of the world’s best-known confectionery companies, Nestlé.

Residents and patients were invited to think back as far as 1904 when Nestlé first started to sell chocolate bars and how the company was involved in the development of milk chocolate as far back as 1875. Ellie and Paul hosted a fascinating talk about how Nestlé Confectionery was first created and how the company has grown over time to become one of the biggest chocolate manufacturers in the world. Residents were taken on a virtual tour of one of its factories to see Easter egg production in full swing. There was an interactive quiz where residents put their chocolate knowledge to the test before Ellie and Paul gave a demonstration on decorating Easter cookies, which everyone then got to sample.

Kim Leadbeater, local MP for Spen and Batley to converse and spend time with our residents and families.

Kim Leadbeater, joined residents of the home for our monthly Dementia Café. Celebrations included a stunning buffet provided by Mick our Head Chef.

General Manager at Nicole Benn said: “It was lovely to have Kim Leadbeater here for the day. The residents were delighted that she was able to visit us and join in on the day. We all had a wonderful day and we hope that Kim will come to see us again soon!”

Join Mortain Place Care Home on Saturday 15th April at 2:30 pm for High Tea or a tour any time in the day.
Too book for a tour contact Gailynne on 01323 465150 or email on gailynne.peters@barchester.com

*Valentines Day Celebrations*

Valentine's Day is the last day of Valentine's Week. People pamper their significant other, crush or potential partner on this day with grand gestures, gifts, romantic dates, and more to express their love. Some people also mark Valentine's Day as a self-love day and indulge themselves by splurging on self-care or participating in activities they love. Whether single or not, Valentine's Day is all about being in love and celebrating love.

We celebrated this day of love with a beautiful romantic walk in the mist this morning. Then this afternoon the OLR Choir sang beautiful ballades, this was joined by family and friends. Everyone then moved into the dining room for afternoon snacks especially prepared with LOVE by our chef Mia.

Last week saw the introduction of Barchester’s ‘Fall Fighter’ campaign in association with RoSPA and Elgar Court Care Home are on a mission to fight falls within our local community!

Falls are the single biggest cause of accidental injuries in the home, and sadly the largest cause of accidental death among over-65s in the UK.  Falls have a huge impact on people’s lives – from physical injuries, poor mental health, loss of mobility, loneliness, social isolation and loss of independence. Unfortunately, falls also have a huge impact on our society, costing the NHS and wider healthcare systems over £4billion every year.

The Fall Fighter movement has been developed with the aim of creating a global fall fighting community and we want YOU to join us!

Home Services Advisor Naomi has been out and about in the local community today delivering the awareness session to Community Action Malvern and District’s Chief Officer Kate Walton and her team.    Kate said ‘Thank you Naomi - I’ve taken away some really useful tips that I can pass on to those that use our services’

The team at Elgar Court will be visiting local groups and organisations over the coming weeks to continue delivering the importance of this campaign and how we can all make a real difference.  Please contact us if you would like us to visit your organisation.

Our Spooky event was a howling success!  Residents, staff and visiting guests got into the ghoulish spirit, and joined in the party games and dancing with live singing entertainment.  Residents commented, 'We are so lucky to have amazing support and we are already really looking forward to the next party!'

We had a lovely time joining Angela Cobbin for a theatre-inspired virtual talk about her book ‘My Name is Not Wigs’.               ‘My Name Is Not Wigs’ is the ultimate read for fans of witty behind-the-curtains memoirs, especially those with a penchant for the bright lights of stage and screen: tears and accolades aplenty                                                                                        

Angela shared interesting facts with our residents about her book, her life and her experiences as a wig creator in London’s West End in celebration of World Theatre Day.