Celebrating life at Barchester

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

Our Residents at Ritson Lodge visited the pub and it's actually in our home. They enjoyed a pub quiz with an Irish theme and there was a tipple or two consumed. At Ritson Lodge we have not only a pub but a dedicated Cinema Room.

At Ritson Lodge we support and encourage our residents to continue doing the things they love whilst also making new friends and exploring new adventures. 

Residents were transported back in time remembering the sweets of old, thanks to Becki who runs the old fashioned sweet shop Sweet Memories of Hadleigh, who came in to the home to sell a selection of the sweets they have at the shop.
Residents, staff and visitors welcomed the opportunity to purchase a selection of old fashioned sweets that they remembered from childhood.

It was a delight to see the memories being stirred up, discussing everyone's favourites and getting to experience the smells of sweets they had long forgotten, such as the Pontefract Cakes, which gave a glorious liquorice smell, which was divided amongst the residents and family members.

With such a selection to choose from Lemon Sherbets, Pear Drops, Mint Humbugs, Flying Saucers, Bonbons in many different flavours, Rhubarb and Custard, to name but a few, which would our residents choose? 

As residents reminisced, the activity team found information on the oldest sweet shop in the world, which is called the "Oldest Sweet Shop In The World" and after some discussion Phyliss guessed correctly that it was in Yorkshire. Reminiscing activities bring such positivity to the residents and leads on to many different avenues to discuss and compare the life from their childhoods and early adulthood, to how life is nowadays.
 

Today was a big celebration for William as he shared his birthday with family and friends in our lovely conservatory.
Lots of family joined him for his special day and he was very happy and grateful for the love and attention he received throughout the day.

He was also presented with a lovely cake made by our talented chef Jorge.

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

Our Chef decided as a special treat for all the Mother's that he would lay on an afternoon high tea. All that attended enjoyed a sumptuous array of finger sandwiches, cakes and bakes and everything was homemade.

Our Activities Team is dedicated to ensuring that we organise events that encourage our residents to host their families and friends at Ritson Lodge. Our home is always to open to loved ones who wish to take part in our life enrichment program. 
 

At Claremont this evening resident got together for a relaxed evening of art using a range of media and explored their creative side whilst enjoying a glass of sherry.

The room was filled with jolly conversations of favourite artists and whether any of us would make a fortune from our creations. The atmosphere felt warm and sociable and helped us to connect, unwind and appreciate the simple pleasure of art in good company.

This week we celebrated the Birthday of Joyce who was presented with a cake made by our wonderfully talented Chef Jorge. Celebrating birthdays at Claremont is a very important occasion for our residents and helps them to feel loved and valued.

Our residents have had the most wonderful surprise this week when they took time to read all the beautiful handwritten cards, paintings and heartfelt letters, lovingly created by the incredible pupils of Greenfields Primary School and Nursery in Kettering. The smiles they brought were simply priceless!

It all began with an Apprenticeship Day at Greenfields, where our Customer Relationship Manager, Samantha, presented to a class of around 30 enthusiastic pupils on the topic of ‘Working Life in a Care Home’  - from receptionist to senior nurse and every vital role in between.

The students listened, asked thoughtful questions, and began to truly understand the dedication, compassion and teamwork that goes into creating a safe, happy and loving home for each and every one of our residents. During the session, the students were challenged to think about how they would get to know a resident using gentle questions and, most importantly, the art of really listening. Skills that, we have to say, they showed in abundance!

Then came the moment none of them will forget… our Home Manager Joanna surprised the class by bringing along one of our wonderful residents, Noelle, to meet them in person. Noelle charmed every single one of them, answering their questions with warmth and wit and the feeling was entirely mutual.

Now, our residents absolutely cannot wait to write back and we have a feeling this is just the beginning of a very special friendship.  We send thanks to every pupil, teacher and member of staff at Greenfields Primary School & Nursery. You have made our residents’ so very happy.

Today we welcomed back Anne and her pop up shop and our residents had an enjoyable time browsing the rails and treating themselves to some new attire.

Retail therapy can have several benefits to residents as it supports  emotional well being, independence, and social interaction.
Being able to choose personal items like clothes helps our residents maintain their identity and can help self-esteem and confidence.

Everyone who popped along enjoyed the shopping experience and are looking forward to Anne returning in the summer.

One of the cornerstones of our life enrichment program is live musical entertainment. Resident involvement in choosing genres along with feedback after each performance means that we are able to constantly improve our activities calendar.

Johnny Laff returned providing a cabaret style show with singing, some cheeky jokes and there were smiles all round.

Music and entertainments are a key monthly feature of our lifestyle enrichment programme.