Celebrating life at Barchester

Our residents always enjoy their special live entertainment sessions with Carly Ann!

Her room visits and small-group showcases have become a much-loved part of life here, bringing music, smiles and plenty of wonderful memories.

What makes these sessions extra special is the personal touch. Residents can share their favourite songs with Carly Ann in advance or make a request during her 15-minute showcase.

Sometimes, these sessions lead to wonderful sing-alongs, with families joining in and sharing the joy of music together. It’s lovely to see residents, relatives and Carly Ann singing along, reminiscing about special memories and enjoying music that means something to them.

A little music can create some very meaningful moments.  

Unit Lead, Louise, was on hand to read this week’s instalment of Oomphs Wellness Weekly to resident Debs. 

Although Debs doesn’t participate in activities in the home, she always looks forward to receiving the home's life enrichment planner and digest on a Monday morning, giving a feeling of inclusion, identity and autonomy.       

On Monday we were treated to a special Live Virtual Event on why 23,568 precious stones have become the world-renowned collection, what lies behind these ancient symbols of monarchy, with an exciting talk with Keith Hanson.

A former soldier of some 30 years, Keith became a Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London in 1997. He later gained promotion to become the Chief Exhibitor, primarily responsible for the safety, security and presentation of the Crown Jewels. Also, during this time, Keith served as a member of the Queen’s Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard. In 2020, Keith was awarded the Royal Victoria Medal for his service to the Crown.            

The morning of the event, resident Brenda attended a church group in the community, where she made her very own Crown Jewels which she proudly showed to all the residents watching the event.’

What better way to celebrate Beer Lovers Day than with a lovely stroll to the local pub?

Albert and Alan enjoyed getting out and about, taking a leisurely walk before settling down to enjoy a refreshing drink and some great company. It was a wonderful chance to enjoy a favourite pastime, share conversation and make the most of the day.

We believe life enrichment is all about creating opportunities for our residents to continue enjoying the things they love. This simple trip to the pub brought plenty of smiles, laughter and a real sense of enjoyment.

Good company, a favourite drink and a lovely afternoon the perfect way to celebrate!     

What a wonderful afternoon it was.

Our residents families, friends and staff all came together to enjoy a day filled with laughter, smiles, music delicious treats and lots of fun.

It was so lovely to see our care home filled with such a warm happy atmosphere, with everyone  getting involved and making special memories together. From enjoying stalls and refreshments to spending precious time with loved ones, it was an afternoon to remember.

Residents at Tandridge Heights recently enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of autumnal flower arranging, creating beautiful seasonal displays to brighten their rooms and celebrate the colours of the season. The activity provided residents with an opportunity to get creative, arrange a variety of flowers and foliage, and enjoy time together in a relaxed and sociable setting. 

Flower arranging offers a range of benefits, including encouraging creativity and self-expression, supporting hand-eye coordination and dexterity, and promoting relaxation and wellbeing. It can also provide valuable opportunities for conversation and social connection.   

Resident Jean was delighted with her finished arrangement, commenting: “It was so lovely, and it really brightens up my room.”

We recently enjoyed exploring our local history with a visit to the Museum of Technology.

The journey began with lots of fun on our minibus as everyone chatted excitedly about what we were going to see and explore. Our residents truly admired the stunning museum, which tells the interesting story of the evolution and development of technology from 1830 to 1980.

We were given an interesting talk about the A & B telephone and the working telephone exchange, which sparked many lovely stories and memories among our residents.

Billy particularly enjoyed looking at the rifles and was amazed at how big they were. He also enjoyed seeing the army jeep and tank.

What a fantastic Friday at the home! We have been delighted to welcome more new faces and wonderful additions to our home.

There was certainly no need for our new residents, loved ones, and families to worry about settling in — our warm welcome, caring atmosphere, and friendly faces helped everyone feel right at home from the very start.

Our live entertainment brought the home to life, with laughter, singing, and music echoing through the foyer. The room was full of smiles and joy, and we even had the pleasure of witnessing some fantastic dancing skills!

It was a lovely opportunity to come together, make new memories, and celebrate the newest members of our home. We are so pleased to have you with us and look forward to many more happy moments together! 

What can you do with a large collection of buttons? Our residents demonstrated their creativity in a recent craft club, when they selected buttons to produce amazing artwork to decorate their rooms.