Celebrating life at Barchester

Resident Anna has been living with us since January for nursing care support. Recently, she decided she wanted some new ink, including some cover-up work and brand-new art! However, she found accessible tattoo parlour can be incredibly challenging for wheelchair users, as many shops have limited space or are located up flights of stairs.

Determined not to let mobility hold her back, Anna did some research and discovered TatsatHome, a fantastic local mobile tattoo business! After a great initial meeting, the talented artist safely and professionally set up a studio right in the comfort of Anna's own bedroom. #Anna was absolutely delighted with the experience, sharing: "I love him and I'm so glad he came to the home! I had looked for a while for someone to provide this service because I can’t get out on my own due to my mobility."

The artist from Tats AtHome said "I was apprehensive at first coming into a care home to give tattoos, but as soon as I met the team and Anna, I knew it would be fine. Anna is funny and lovely, and it was a pleasure being able to come and give her the artwork she wanted."

At Claremont Parkway, we believe that moving into a care home shouldn't mean giving up the things you love or stopping the lifestyle choices that make you you. While a bedside tattoo might be a unique request, we love enabling our residents to live life to the full and who knows, this trend might just catch on!

At Darcy Gardens, we believe that meaningful moments, shared experiences and opportunities for conversation are an important part of everyday life.

Our recent Poets’ Corner, led by Peter, brought literature, nature and reminiscence together as residents explored three beautiful poems by celebrated poets Dylan Thomas and John Keats.
The session featured Fern Hill and Poem in October by Dylan Thomas, alongside John Keats’ much-loved To Autumn.

Each poem offered something different, from reflections on childhood and treasured memories to the beauty of the changing seasons and the passage of time.

Through the rich imagery and evocative words, residents were encouraged to reflect, share thoughts and enjoy the pleasure of poetry together.

The poems were chosen for their shared themes of nature, memory and the different seasons of life. Their familiar sentiments offered an opportunity to spark conversation, revisit personal memories and appreciate the beauty of the world around us.
At Darcy Gardens, activities are about more than simply filling the day. They are about creating opportunities for connection, encouraging individual expression and celebrating the interests and experiences that make each person unique.
A heartfelt thank you to Peter for leading such a thoughtful and engaging session.
We look forward to welcoming everyone to future gatherings of Poets’ Corner.
 

Crafty Corner 

The activity took place in our Memory Lane activties room, where residents sat together over a cup of tea, chatting and sharing ideas as they chose their colours and positioned each piece. We also took the craft to residents who prefer to stay in their rooms, so that everyone had the chance to join in.
Creative activities like this offer real benefits. Selecting colours and placing small pieces of tissue paper encourages creativity, keeps hands and fingers active, and gives a lovely sense of achievement. Just as importantly, it brings people together and creates moments of conversation and fun.
Seeing the pride on residents' faces as they held up their finished pumpkins and leaves was a joy.

Simple but effective crafts.

 

Our residents had a fabulous day out at the 80th Annual Art Exhibition held at Ocean on Exmouth seafront. Our activities team took the residents down in our minibus and had a browse through all of the artworks which had been produced and put up for sale by a number of different local Devon Artists. 

This week we enjoyed an outing to Southampton City Art Gallery, where we got to admire their impressive collection of artwork by some of the world’s greatest masters, including Monet, Van Dyck and Rodin. 
We look forward to returning again in the future to explore more of the collection