Celebrating life at Barchester

At Hilton Park animal therapy is one of the cornerstones of our life enrichment program and features regularly on our resident-led weekly activity planner.

Red Acre Kennels brought along a very proud mum and her puppies. One of our Residents who has a always been a keen dog lover wanted the chance to cuddle some puppies so our Activities Team made her wish come true.

By taking regular feedback and requests from our residents we can enhance our life enrichment program to suit the interests of the residents.

Highview House is set in the scenic city of Inverness, with nationally recognised sites of natural beauty all around.  Our activities team use the minibus to take trips into the city to visit popular attractions, but even more popular are our out-of-town field trips. The Black Isle, year-round home to dolphins and porpoises, is just half an hour’s drive away.  

Residents are also living in close proximity to farmland, forests and woodland, country parks and nature reserves – all of which feature regularly on the activities calendar throughout the year.  Our activities team are always on the lookout for new places to visit, while at the same time taking advantage of the beauty of the surrounding nature of the Highlands. 

Keep an eye out for our silver Barchester minibus – we’ll be on our way to yet another adventure near you in the very near future.  

Each Wednesday, Willow the beagle comes to spend the day with us. Willow is our activity coordinator, Chloe’s dog. She is almost 9 and can be best compared to the Disney character, Eeyore! Willow wanders around our home looking for gentle pats all day. She loves the attention and most of our residents recognise her now and look forward to her visits. She goes in and out of each bedroom saying hello to everyone and keeping each person she visits company. 

Willow arrives with Chloe at 9am on a Wednesday, and, after a busy day on the job, can be found at around 3pm asleep (and snoring very loudly) in our reception area. In-between visits, our residents and even their family members ask when she is coming back. We have begun to think Willow may need her own uniform and name badge as she is a brilliant employee and asset to our team here at Hundens Park!  

We welcomed the new year in style! We joined together as a group to celebrate, enjoying an array of party food and non-alcoholic wines and beers. We enjoyed a performance from visiting entertainer, Jade Sanders. 

Jade is absolutely incredible. She featured on the television programme ‘The Voice’. It was heart-warming to see so many of our residents being supported by their loved ones who joined us for the celebrations.      

Our wonderful senior carer, Helen, has celebrated her 10-year service award. The 11th of February marked 10 years of working right here at Hundens Park for Helen. 

Helen is a senior carer who works primarily in our Darnton Suite (Male unit) but also works in our Swanton Suite occasionally (Female unit). She is an incredible asset to our team. It was brilliant celebrating this incredible achievement with her.

Residents, families, and members of the local community gathered yesterday for a crucial information session dedicated to future planning and legal protection.

Speaker Lee Skilton, from Dorset and Wight provided vital guidance through the often-complex world of estate planning. The session was praised by guests for its informal and delivery, making daunting legal topics easy to understand.

Throughout the morning, Lee addressed a wide range of essential topics, answering a flurry of questions from the engaged audience. Key discussions included Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA), where Lee dived into both medical and financial LPAs, including guidance on how to choose the right person to act on your behalf. 
Will Management the importance of writing, regularly reviewing, and safely storing Wills. Lee also talked about the risks of firms closures and gave practical advice on what happens if a solicitor holding your documents closes down and how to mitigate those risks.

Elina House General Manager said "The session was very informative and there was an abundance of information and knowledge share from Lee without any obligation and removed the apprehension of addressing concerns, Lee was professional but kept the chat light, fun and informative, thank you Lee and Dorset and Wight for providing this free session".
 

Today at Mulberry Court we attended a special church service with our local Minister, where we all celebrated the unique traditions of the epiphany, the profound moment of realisation. 

At Mulberry Court we recognise that church services are very important as they provide spiritual comfort and foster a sense of belonging and purpose for our family of residents. We hold church services in our communal lounge on a fortnightly basis.  

The Ambassador Cruise Line 2026 World Indoor Bowls Championships started last week, so... Mulberry Court have decided to have their own championship this weekend. 

We recognise here at Mulberry Court that games like bowls are highly beneficial for our family of residents of all ages and abilities, particularly older adults and those seeking a low-impact activity. It offers a unique blend of physical, mental, and social benefits, making it an excellent activity for overall well-being. What great fun as well.    

Hi, my name is Fiona, and I am the head of housekeeping at Chorleywood Beaumont. 

I have worked for Barchester since 2014. I love being part of a fantastic team; every day is a different day. I really enjoyed being part of our residents' lives.