Celebrating life at Barchester

We enjoyed a fun-filled Wild West-themed day packed with laughter and cowboy spirit, as our Memory Lane community was transformed into a Western ranch, complete with cowboy hats, themed decorations and `Wanted` style photo opportunities. 

Residents and staff joined in with games of Buckaroo, hoop the cactus, and hilarious inflatable costumes, while country music favourites, including Dolly Parton, provided the soundtrack. And the celebrations continued with a hearty ranch-style dinner before we settled down in the evening to watch a Western film.

A great day, with everyone coming together to talk and laugh, reminiscing and making new memories too. Resident Margaret loved the experience, saying it felt like they had gone somewhere completely different for the day.

As the leaves on the trees are starting to turn, and autumn colours are appearing all around us in beautiful Somerset, we enjoyed making some simple but effective autumn wreaths. We used paper plates and stencil patterns, and a mixture of colouring, sticking and printing. 

We also enjoyed reflecting on this quote from philosopher Albert Camus that reminds us to celebrate the beauty in all seasons and all ages: "Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”

Autumn sunshine, a courtyard garden and a table full of flowers made for a lovely creative afternoon at Darcy Gardens. Our residents hollowed out pumpkins and turned them into beautiful floral arrangements.
Each pumpkin became a vase for golden and deep red roses, bay leaves, fresh rosemary and dried wheat. Pine cones, dried gypsophila, autumn maple leaves and a twist of twine finished the look. There was plenty of laughter, and a real sense of pride as each finished pumpkin was held up for the camera. Several now brighten our lounges and dining areas.

Spooky season at Darcy Gardens
With Halloween on the way, Darcy Gardens is getting into a gentle spooky spirit. Our pumpkins are the first of our seasonal touches, and there are more ghoulishly good fun and treats to come. Residents are welcome to join in and share their own Halloween memories, from trick-or-treating and bobbing for apples to ghost stories by the fire.
Did you know?
 

 Lanterns were carved long before pumpkins were used. In Ireland and Scotland, people carved turnips, potatoes and beets for Samhain, the Celtic harvest festival, and the glowing lanterns were thought to ward off wandering spirits.   An Irish folk tale tells of "Stingy Jack", a trickster who fooled the Devil and was doomed to wander the earth with only a burning coal in a carved turnip to light his way. People called the lanterns "Jack of the Lantern", which became "jack-o'-lantern".  Irish and Scottish emigrants took the tradition to North America in the 1800s. Pumpkins, native to the Americas, were bigger and softer, so they quickly replaced turnips.

 Floral pumpkins are a current autumn trend. Florists use them as vases, and pressed-flower and no-carve pumpkins are popular too.
  A lightly cut or uncut pumpkin lasts longer than a heavily carved one, so our arrangements should stay fresh for weeks. They can go on the compost heap afterwards.
 

Activities like this support creativity, fine motor skills and wellbeing. They bring residents together, spark memories of autumns past and give everyone the chance to enjoy the fresh air and the garden.
 

National celebrations and family-friendly events are just some of the ways that we ensure the residents at Alice Grange remain connected with their loved ones and the wider community.

Our Residents are preparing for a Harvest Festival event open to our local community and friends. They enjoyed an arts and crafts session making and wreaths ready for the celebrations.

Ensuring that we host events that relatives, friends and our local community can enjoy is very important to us here at Alice Grange. 

Our staff and residents had a fantastic time celebrating National Curry Week, which took place recently.

Our award winning Chef Roshan led a superb masterclass session on all the secrets to creating mouth watering curries. 

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

The Residents at Alice Grange enjoyed a visit from the Mini Donkeys and this even included individual room visits so all our Residents could enjoy.

Residents at Alice Grange love the animal therapy sessions that our dedicated Activities Team organises every month. As one of the foundations of our Life Enrichment program, we know that animal therapy can help reduce blood pressure and improve overall cardiovascular health. 

Celebrating special events are a cornerstone of the life enrichment at Alice Grange Care Home. Ensuring that family and friends are involved ensures that every celebration creates special memories.

Our resident Gill and her husband Richard celebrated their 60th Diamond wedding anniversary and even recieved a card from the King. They spent this special day with family and held an early celebration at the home to kick off the celebrations in style.

At Alice Grange that's what we like to do - create memories, and ensure our residents are leading full enriched lives.