Activities at Chater Lodge Care Home

We opened our doors to the community.

We were delighted to welcome back Jeremy, whom for many of the residents at Chater Lodge it was their first time seeing him. 
From toe-tapping classics to sing-along favourites, the room was filled with smiles and laughter, with residents requests and raising the roof with ‘Sweet Caroline’.           

It was truly a fabulous morning that created many beautiful moments together. The residents can't wait for Jeremy's return. 

Robin Hood was in the building. The residents were given the opportunity to have a go at archery, setting themselves a challenge of hitting the bullseye and experience the positive health benefits of the sport.

Archery can be a safe and engaging activity for the residents here at Chater Lodge, even those with limited mobility, through the use of soft archery with suction cup arrows. This adapted version allows residents to enjoy the sport while building new skills, supporting their physical, mental, and cognitive well-being.

The staff got into the swing of things pretending to be hit! The laughter filled the home.     

We had a lovely time creating some stunning flower displays with some of our ladies at Chater Lodge. What a wonderful activity it turned out to be.

The room was filled with laughter and creativity and the room smelt beautiful.

Everyone chose their flowers, arranging them in their own unique way, chatting away while they made their creations. It was such a relaxing and enjoyable activity, we can't wait to do it again. Each flower arrangement was as unique as the person who made it.     

Staff and residents at Chater Lodge Care Home continue to support the Food Bank Second Helpings.  The local Food Bank aims to fill bellies and not bins and also to help with the environment. 

Over the past couple of weeks staff collected tinned items along with pasta, rice, breakfast cereals, tea and coffee as well as little extras including chocolates, and toiletries. The staff at Chater Lodge know their donations will be put to good use supporting a community. 

Every Thursday we are able to take our residents to places of interest. We are lucky to have a Barchester bus for the residents use every week.

We often go to different garden centres, record shops and sometimes to community coffee mornings. All the ideas of trips are put forward in our resident meetings.

Every Thursday we love getting out and about taking residents to a variety of places of interest. Thanks to the Barchester Minibus we are able to enjoy these regular adventures. From garden centres to community coffee mornings, all of our trip ideas are suggested by residents, making sure everyone has something to look forward to. 

Our latest minibus was to a local garden centre, exploring the colourful seasonal flowers and fresh vegetables. It was a lovely trip filled with fresh air, conversations and smiles. 

Sheila spent the morning doing her accounting.

Counting her coins and putting the correct amounts in the money bags. Sheila used to do accounts for many businesses in Stamford, we also found out that she was excellent at spelling! We're interested in residents' history, their life stories, the things they love. Every resident is unique.

From spending time and learning about each one, we can support positive well-being through a wide range of tailored activities.      
 

Staff and residents were whisked away to the Highlands for a wonderful whisky tasting masterclass hosted by Lenka Whyles, Senior Specialist Tours and Tasting Manager for The Scottish Whisky Experience. 

Residents joined Lenka on a journey to find out all about Scottish whisky - from how it was first distilled, to where it is today, and what it is that makes Scottish whisky so prized all around the world.

The residents at Chater Lodge had a wonderful Easter, where they welcomed a special guest and her little helper.

The Easter bunny and her little helper hopped around the home carrying a basket of Easter treats. The residents were excited to interact with the Easter bunny and happily posed for pictures with her. The Easter bunny, true to her reputation, brightened up the day for everyone. Residents had a wonderful time, full of joy and laughter.     

During the day, residents and guests tucked into hot cross buns and even more chocolate treats.  

What a stunning day the residents had meeting the lambs at 16 weeks old in the sunshine. 

Billy and Bobby came from Phoenix Lambs created a lot of joy, and it was an enriching experience. It was emotionally uplifting and good for sensory stimulation.

Having animals to visit has cognitive benefits for dementia residents and can give a comforting sense of connection. Having the lambs to visit is a great social engagement for families to visit and share the experience. Animals bring calming presents that eases anxiety,

We were treated to a truly wonderful afternoon when the Ketton Bell Ringer joined us, filling the room with beautiful traditional songs. The residents were delighted to take part as the group kindly taught everyone how to ring “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”. 

There were lots of smiles as residents had a go and enjoyed being part of the music making.  

Today at Chater Lodge we were delighted to host our Parkinson’s Awareness Event and welcome local community members Elizabeth Knowles and Margaret Berrisford from Stamford Parkinson’s group.

It was an opportunity to raise awareness, share specialist knowledge and have meaningful conversations.

Thank you to everyone who attended. We look forward to hosting more community events soon.     

Residents and colleagues marked the 81st anniversary of Victory in Europe Day in style by throwing a 1940s afternoon tea party to remember, attended by The Mayoress Amanda Wheeler. The home was decorated in red, white and blue and residents and staff dressed up in their 1940s-inspired glad rags and enjoyed a morning of music by Nicky Downs.

Head chef Marta whipped up a delicious selection of freshly-baked biscuits, sandwiches, cakes and trifles for the occasion, all washed down with pots of tea and a celebratory glass of fizz to mark the occasion. 

The community engagement team braved the elements to wash cars to raise money for The Barchester Foundation.

From vans to small cars, no job was too big or small. The team tackled them all.

Refreshments were given out to the customers, and they were thanked for their contributions. 

This week the team from Chater Lodge dropped off a basket of donations. The Chater Lodge Care Home is proud to support @Second Helpings – Stamford and have a Food Bank Donation drop-off point at the entrance to our home.

Second Helpings is a project run in partnership with Stamford Methodist Church and the whole community. Based in the heart of Stamford, their volunteers work with local suppliers and supermarkets to redistribute surplus food nearing its best-before date to the community. Their aim is to ‘feed bellies, not bins’ and they are passionate about reducing food waste and working with the community to reduce our environmental impact.

Any non-perishable food items will be gratefully received for this brilliant local cause.        

Near Valentine’s Day, residents enjoyed an informative and engaging session led by Karen, our retired nurse volunteer.

Karen shared helpful advice on maintaining good heart health, including the importance of a balanced diet, relaxing activities such as tai chi, recommended weekly alcohol limits, and the benefits of walking. She explained how the heart works and spoke about her experience witnessing open-heart surgery. The residents found this fascinating. Residents even had the chance to learn how to check their own pulse at the wrist and neck, making the session both practical and empowering. 

A big thank you to Karen for an interesting and educational talk.