Activities at Elm Bank Care Home

Recently our beautiful garden was filled with smiles as we welcomed the adorable mini donkeys, Fern and Pepper, along with their lovely owner, Helen. Even though it rained, the parasols were up and residents, family and friends loved watching these little gentle visitors, enjoying their company and sharing a special moment together. 

The visit created so much joy in the simple pleasure of being close to animals, with plenty of smiles, laughter and heart warming memories created along the way. Helen shared her knowledge of these beautiful animals and created an afternoon of learning as well as fun. We want to say a huge thankyou to Helen for bringing Fern and Pepper to see us, they certainly made our wet drizzly afternoon extra special.

Every day brings something special here at the home, from enjoying our uplifting Dementia Sings Out trips, to rolling up our sleeves and making delicious homemade cheese and onion pasties, alongside afternoons filled with live entertainment, there is always something to look forward to!

These special moments are about so much more than just activities. They bring laughter, connection, cherished memories and a real sense of purpose, helping our residents feel valued, engaged and really feel a part of something special. Here at the home, we believe it is the little moments, shared experiences and opportunities to enjoy life that make every day here meaningful. 

Recently we had an incredible turnout for our Fun Dog Show! Our garden was filled with wagging tails, smiling faces, and visitors from across our local community including one wonderful family who travelled all the way from Windsor with their adorable 7-month-old puppy! 

It was truly heart warming to see our residents and their loved ones joining in the fun, including our resident ambassador John who ensured every dog had a treat. Our residents also enjoyed the event from the comfort of their own rooms, watching all the action from their patio doors leading onto the garden.

A Huge Thank You to Animals In Need Northamptonshire, A massive shout-out to the phenomenal team at Animals In Need for coming along and hosting the day! This incredible charity dedicates so much precious time to rescuing and rehoming animals all over the county. We are especially grateful to Emma (who has served for 19 years), Mary, and Sarah for sharing their passion and love with us.

Thank you to everyone who made the day so magical. We can't wait to see you all again at Christmas!

What a great day we had here at the home recently as we hosted an amazing talk from 'Fitted By Tamara' about all things Bra's and also a visit from 'Count Down Cares' with Ann and her lovely Pop-Up Shop. The day provided our lovely residents, family and friends with an opportunity to learn all about the importance of a well fitted bra and the new bra's that offer support in many different ways, from ease of putting on to helping with better support. The day also offered residents, family and friends with a lovely home shopping experience from Ann and her Pop-Up Shop, offering a new collection of clothing for the season. 

It was a fun and engaging day for all and an informative one for all. We can not thank both ladies enough for coming to the home and providing us all with wonderful opportunities to experience new things.

We wanted to share with you our first two wonderful  birthday celebrations of this month. Birthdays are so much more than just another day, they are an opportunity to celebrate each resident, their life, and the memories they have created. Here at the home we ensure every resident receives their very own personalised birthday cake, making their day special and as unique and meaningful as they are. Please enjoy the photos below, that have captured the smiles, laughter and joy making every birthday a truly memorable occasion here at the home.

Autumn is upon us, and we still continue to enjoy our wonderful outings each week, venturing off to somewhere different each trip. Recently we enjoyed a trip out shopping and also a trip to our local park to soak up the autumn sun. 

Shopping was such fun, as we browsed the isles and enjoyed looking at all the seasonal stock that has come in, allowing for reminiscence on how the stores have changed over time. It was also the perfect opportunity to sit and share stories over a warm drink. 

We also took a trip to our local park, this was a perfect day for feeding the birds and being in the fresh autumn sunshine. We enjoyed the sights and sounds of nature during this beautiful time of the year. It was lovely to simply be in the fresh air and enjoy are surroundings and each other.

We had a double dose of music here at the home recently as we celebrated 'World Heart Day'. We all know that the gift of music brings smiles, joy and special moments to all, it truly is good for the heart and soul. 

On our Blossom Trail Community, residents enjoyed a fantastic live performance from the talented duo 'Sally and Rob'. For our residents who are living with dementia it really had a positive impact, allowing for emotional expression, creating moments of happiness and engagement. It was a truly uplifting afternoon full of smiles, laughter and plenty of fun!

On our Bluebell Walk Community the residents were treated to the talented saxophonist Zac, who provided music in honour of a residents birthday. We want to send a heartfelt thank you to the residents family for arranging this thoughtful surprise and sharing their loved ones special day with us all.
One special day, two special occasions, and one shared love of music.

What a wonderful day we had here at the home as we all came together for  Macmillan's 'Worlds Biggest Coffee Morning'  filled with delicious treats, live entertainment and plenty of smiles. We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who came along and supported us. Your generosity and company mad the day truly special. 
We also enjoyed wearing yellow for the day, bring a splash of colour throughout the home. And what a better way to make everyone smile thank with our very own member of staff dressed as the yellow banana man! He certainly brought plenty of laughter to our residents and staff alike!
We had such a uplifting day that was filled with music. laughter, friendship and togetherness, which is what we truly are all about here at the home. 

What another great day we had here recently, with something different for our lovely residents to enjoy throughout the day. Our morning began with a visit from Tom G's Fitness, who visits our beautiful home every fortnight to deliver specially adapted exercises so that everyone can participate at their own level. The sessions Tom delivers are more than just exercise, they encourage movement, confidence, social interaction and plenty of smiles along the way! Tom really has got to know all our residents well and this is why his classes are tailored to each residents needs and residents really look forward to his visits.

In the afternoon, we switched things up a bit with a celebration of National Beer Lovers Day! There was live music, laughter, plenty of conversation as our residents enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of live entertainment from mini concerts together and a drink!.

Every day is different here, and we really do like to ensure every resident gets to participate in life enriching experiences.

Here at the home we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to continue doing the things that bring them real meaning, purpose and a sense of achievement. Our wonderful Resident Ambassador, John recently shared his wish to have a role where he could contribute and support others. We were truly delighted to help John turn that wish in to reality, and John has now taken on a new role as an Activities Assistant. John has really embraced his new responsibilities with real enthusiasm and reports for duty every day proudly wearing his pink t-shirt!

As the days and weeks go by we will be keeping you posted on John in his new role and the adventures he gets up to with all our lovely residents!

The lovely photos below and short videos have captured the joy John gets from being a part of the activities team.

Residents, staff, friends and family recently welcomed the Braybrooke Morris Dancers in for an afternoon of spectacular music, dancing, laughter and fun.

The lovely occasion provided a truly wonderful opportunity for all to come together for an enjoyable afternoon, complete with the cheerful sound of jingling bells, tapping of sticks along with the colourful costumes and white hankies. The group brought with them a real sense of tradition and community, the music created a joyful atmosphere, with everyone enjoying the sights and sounds of this much-loved traditional dancing.

Tina, Activities Co-ordinator said, “It is really important that the home brings in these unique themed events as it highlights the importance of such events in a care setting. For many of our residents this was the first time that they had seen Morris Dancing being performed. It offered them something new and different to experience and this in turn enriches the lives of our residents. It was a lovely afternoon that allowed for some great memories to be made.”

General Manager, Larisa Bledea, said: “What a great time everyone had, we cannot thank the Braybrooke Morris Dancers enough for coming to the home and offering this wonderful afternoon for our residents, staff, family and friends to all enjoy. Themed events like these are so important to all here, and our doors are always open to the community to join us. Moments like these help us all to remain connected to our local community and this is very important for our residents.”

What a truly magical afternoon we had recently as we invited Rebecca from ‘Sweet Memories of Hadleigh’ to our home with her pop-up sweet shop. The wonderful pop-up shop transported the residents back in time with the authentic sights, smells and the old classic tastes of confectionary from the past. It was a journey of reminiscing for all, as Rebecca weighed out the sweets meticulously with her traditional scales, selling them by the quarter for the residents. There was jar after jar of deliciously coloured old-time favourites all beautifully set out so that residents, family, friends and staff could browse and treat themselves to tasty treat.
The wonderful photos from the afternoon of delicious sweets, has been captured below for all to enjoy.

We wanted to share  with you some more of our wonderful birthdays celebrated in September. Birthdays are so much more than just another day, they are an opportunity to celebrate each resident, their life, and the memories they have created. Here at the home we ensure every resident receives their very own personalised birthday cake, making their day special and as unique and meaningful as they are. Please enjoy the photos below, that have captured the smiles, laughter and joy making every birthday a truly memorable occasion here at the home.

Recently we had a wonderful afternoon with our residents on the Blossom Trail Community, creating delicious biscuits all from the comfort of their own rooms. With plenty of encouragement, conversation and a little creativity, everyone was able to take part at their own pace and enjoy the simple pleasure of baking. Adapting activities is such an important part of person-centred care and sometimes with just a simple small adjustment  everyone is able to participate. All our residents had a real sense of achievement, and once the biscuits were baked, it was not long before they were devoured!

We began our day with a trip to Dementia Sings Out at the Compass Church in Wellingborough. There was dancing, singing and plenty of familiar music that bought back happy memories and encouraged everyone to join in at their own pace. The place is magical for the community, providing all with opportunities for companionship, connection and belonging.

The fun continued in the afternoon when we rolled up our sleeves and created our own pizza's! Everyone had a delicious selection of toppings, allowing for some spectacular combinations to be put together. This activity encouraged independence, choice and sensory engagement for all. There was such a huge sense of achievement when all the pizza's came back freshly cooked, they did not last long!