Activities at Ashminster House Care Home

Activities at Ashminster are based on residents' life histories. We host music workshops and encourage participation in a number of other activities, including gentle exercise, bingo and gardening. Monthly live singers entertain everyone with music from the 50s, 60s and 70s and residents are encouraged to interact with the musical instruments. Sensory sessions with fibre optic lights and touch & feel blankets are provided, which can be calming to those living with dementia. Residents participate in cooking sessions and enjoy the aromas of bread, scones and cakes - and, of course, sampling the finished product over a cuppa! We promote family values at Ashminster, and those we support can enjoy reminiscing about family events in the past, including weddings and previous occupations. 

Enriching life
Watch our video on life enrichment in our homes.

Elaine Hilden

Head of Lifestyle

I have worked at Ashminster House since 2003, first as a carer then progressing to activities coordinator, which has know as 'Head of Lifestyle'. I have a wealth of experience in my role, as well as NVQs in Health and Social Care, Activities in the Care Setting and Dementia.

I am passionate about fulfilling residents' lives by getting to know each individual with a person-centred approach, learning about their experiences and helping them to express themselves, such as through reminiscing with items of old.

My interests outside of work include antiques, dogs and spending time with my family.

Life-encriching activities booklet

Read our brochure 'Life-enriching activities' for more information about life in our care homes.
Read our brochure

Activities and Events Partnerships

As part of our bespoke life-enrichment programmes, we host a number of live virtual events in the home on a regular basis through a number of partnerships with places of interest and world class performance companies

Life at Ashminster House Care Home

Gentlemen’s Club, Hythe

The men at Ashminster House enjoyed a lovely sunny trip out to the seaside coast of Hythe for their Gentlemen’s Club. With a good hearty portion of fish and chips and getting out to enjoy the seaside air on this trip, the men had a wonderful time exploring the coast.

Carousel Theatre and BBQ

Residents enjoyed a lovely sunny day here at Ashminster House with Carousel Theatre Company performing their summer show with a number of classic tunes.

After the exciting performance the residents enjoyed a barbecue with a selection of burgers and sausages served by our fantastic catering team with a delicious Eton Mess to end the afternoon.

Mobile Library at Ashminster

Residents were visited by the home's mobile library to cozy up with a good book, a cup of tea and tasty slice of cake while exploring a variety of stories to indulge in and enjoy.

Jill says "It's so nice getting to see a large collection of books for us to choose and have a look at!"

Cocktails and Canapes

Residents have enjoyed a delicious selection of canapes and delightful cocktails that have been prepared by our excellent catering team and activities team here at Ashminster House. Along with the snacks and delicious drinks, the residents enjoyed a quiz related to different types of cocktails and what drinks are used to make them.

Elvis is in the building!

Residents, families and staff at Ashminster House got to meet the king as he sang for our community. Elvis performed a fantastic selection of tunes from the legend of rock and roll. The residents had a marvellous time, singing and dancing to his greatest hits!

Enable go Live!

Ashminster House is delighted to announce that as of this week we are now using ENABLE, the digital e-care planning. “Enable” as a tool that Barchester Healthcare is making as part of its digital transformation strategy. I would like to thank each member of the team for embracing the new digital system, Enable. A big thank to all our transposers, both our home staff and the regional support team for all your efforts and hard work of creating support plans and risk assessments.