Activities at Ashlar House Care Home

Chanukah is a time for fun within Jewish communities. Family and friends gather together to celebrate this annual Feast of Dedication. This eight-day thanksgiving is an important time within the Hebrew calendar. It carries with it many traditions enjoyed by all at Ashlar House.

Today we celebrated a very special day for one of our residents. Gladys Wise turned 100 years young and full of excitement and anticipation. We started the day waiting in excited expectation of the arrival of the Queen’s telegram which was well received in the morning.

Gladys looked elegant and glamourous for this very special day, spent time with 5 generations of her family, as well as the friends that she has made at Ashlar House.

A special day requires a special party which was attended by local press along with the Epping Town Mayor, Friends and family. Nelson, our entertainer, dressed in period clothing and serenaded Gladys and our guests with songs from Gladys’s hay day.

The Local schools that visited us throughout 2019 all sent their Birthday messages. This was a very special and memorable day for Gladys. The significance was felt by all in attendance especially family and friends.

Ashlar House welcomed pupils from Years 3 and 4 (Aspen, Ash and Beech class), from Coopersale and Theydon Garnon Primary School, to participate in a community project which the pupils had prepared and planned with great excitement. 

This was a wonderful opportunity for both the children and residents in the care home. It taught them about dementia and growing old by them listening to stories of ‘history within living memory’. 

It was a chance for the residents to recall and share their life experiences, as well as enjoying the company of the younger generation. Residents who participated received personalised letters from the children.

This project supports the pupils creative curriculum by linking across many subject areas. During this visit the children created portraits of the residents and they have written their biographies.

Coopersale Theydon Garnon Primary School have had a busy week getting their Christmas songs ready and making beautiful handmade Christmas cards to all our residents here at Ashlar House.

Residents who were unable to attend were not forgotten, the children were guided to their rooms with the accompany of their  teacher and a carer to allow the children to personally hand deliver their cards.

It was an very hart moving morning, and are all looking forward for tomorrow visit from the second group of 38 Children.

This weekend we opened our home again for the Winter Fayre, a now popular event with our residents, friends and family. This year we were fortunate to have Lee entertain and serenade us with festive music with his DJ set. Everyone enjoyed the now familiar ‘winter wonderland’ shopping experience of the market stalls.

Our visitors enjoyed a plethora of opulent food options from Pigs in Blankets to an array of festive cakes made by friends and families. Our local community showed their generosity once more by donating prizes for raffle which seemed to favour a friend of the home based in Germany that will remain unnamed!

An enjoyable event that saw familiar and new faces experiencing the hospitality of Ashlar House.

We had a busy and festive day. Today several of our residents were invited to a dress rehearsal for the nativity play at Ivy Chimney School where upon arrival were welcomed with tea, mince pies and handmade Christmas cards. In the afternoon Coopersale Hall school choral choir visited our home and sang a selection of Christmas carols which had our residents singing along and some from tears of joy.