Activities at Elm Bank Care Home

The residents and staff at Elm Bank were invited for a spectacular afternoon tea hosted by pupils from Stone Lodge Therapeutic School based in Kettering.

The staff and pupils of Stone Lodge Therapeutic School, were tasked with a project to create an afternoon tea for the residents of Elm Bank care home. The pupils attend the home every Friday to participate in intergenerational activities with the residents. The teachers and pupils have built up a good bond over time in learning about the home and its residents, which has benefited both residents and the pupils. This week the pupils created an amazing tea, with freshly made sandwiches and baked cakes as well warm sausage rolls. Residents received beautiful hand crafted invitations, upon arrival they were greeted with a lovely warm welcome from all at the school. The residents learnt how the pupils sourced the china cups and saucers from the local Salvation Army especially for the occasion, and all the delicious sandwiches and freshly baked cakes created by the pupils.

Resident Jill said, “It is lovely, the children worked so hard in cooking and baking everything for us, they have gone to a lot of trouble. I am surprised that all the cups were purchased from the Salvation Army for this today. They really have done well with the project they were set. It was very nice, thank you to all of them.”

Marvellous Bindura, General Manager said, “It is lovely to see our residents enjoying time with younger people, the enrichment it creates in their lives is obvious. It is great to have links with local schools and for them to come in and spend time with our residents is simply wonderful. The pupils of the school worked so hard to create a wonderful afternoon tea for our residents and it was truly appreciated.” 

Our varied life enrichment programme keeps residents active, and provides a daily choice of engaging physical, mental and spiritual activities tailored to residents’ interests and abilities.

Residents at Elm Bank care home, in Kettering recently enjoyed an amazing afternoon with Age UK Northamptonshire. The event welcomed the clients from Age UK Northamptonshire in to the home to make friends.

It was great fun to see the clients from Age UK Northamptonshire coming to participate in a day of activities, residents and staff from Elm Bank were delighted with the visitors and new friendships were created. After a morning of activities and getting to know one another it was time for tea and cake. With more activities following, it was not long before a delicious spread of sandwiches and hot and cold drinks were served. The day ended with the clients from Age UK Northamptonshire enjoying the beautiful home gardens in the late September Sun.

Resident Christine said, “It is lovely to have people here, we all make new friends and that is very important. I have enjoyed the stories from our guests, would be lovely to have them all back again.”

General Manager Marvellous Bindura said: “We have all enjoyed having Age UK Northamptonshire here with us, it means so much to us to be able to keep up the links in the community for all our residents. It is always a pleasure for residents and staff alike to engage with groups outside of the home, it is important to keep these connections and friendships, we are certainly are looking forward to welcoming Age UK Northamptonshire back to our beautiful home .”

At Elm Bank Care home we support and encourage our residents to continue doing the things they love whilst also making new friends and exploring new adventures. 

Residents at Elm Bank care home were pleasantly surprised when a mobile animal petting party came to visit the home which was full of animal mischief.

To see animals such as chickens, guinea pigs, cats, dogs and many more roaming around their beautiful lounge as Michelle’s Animal Petting Party paid a visit. Doris the chicken was very well behaved along with all the animals, residents and staff were immersed in an afternoon of fun. Animals have a huge benefit for all, Simon the cat even paid a special visit to residents in their rooms. 

Resident Norman was very excited and touched by all the animals and it was not long before he was surrounded by them all: “I love all the animals, and this is lovely, I am so happy today, everyone is smiling and it would be great to have all these animals back again to visit.” 

General Manager Marvellous Bindura said: “Our residents have really enjoyed their unusual visitors today.  We knew that having the animal petting party here would be a bit of fun for all our residents and staff, especially as some find it difficult to go on many outings in our minibus.  We are always looking for new activities for the residents and today we have seen the enjoyment and the therapeutic influence animals can have on everyone.”

Animal therapy is one of the cornerstones of our life enrichment program and features regularly on our resident-led weekly activity planner.

The residents at Elm Bank care home in Kettering stepped back in time with a beautiful late summer afternoon at the Blitz Tea Room and Jazz Lounge in Kettering.

The sun was out and that called for an afternoon of stepping back in time, as residents visited the Blitz Tea Rooms and Jazz Lounge in Kettering. It was amazing for all the residents as they were surrounded in unique magical memorabilia from the Blitz in the 1940’s. The tea room is an amazing time capsule serving up delicious food, with truly outstanding service, all residents enjoyed a delightful afternoon. Stories of the blitz in the 1940’s were shared among the residents, and with all the quirky items on display it was not long before the props were out and costumes on. All the residents enjoyed lovely cakes with a pot of tea and coffee, with milk served in delightful glass milk bottles.

Pam, a resident at Elm Bank said, “I have never been here before, and this place is truly something, I love all the little items on display and the ration books as menus. I have loved the food and I cannot wait to eat the scones that I have purchased when back at home. I will definitely be coming back here again.”

Marvellous Bindura, General Manager said, “It is lovely to see our residents enjoying being out in the local community, The Blitz Tea Room and Jazz Lounge, is somewhere that our residents have truly enjoyed, we have many more trips planned throughout the coming months to this delightful place.

Our residents here at Elm Bank care home in Kettering, are truly embracing the great outdoors as the summer is coming to an end. ‘The Green Patch Community Garden’ based in Kettering is a haven that allows the residents to explore the great outdoors.

As the summer is coming to an end, our residents are making the most of the early morning sun, starting the day looking around the fabulous 2.5 acre site at ‘The Green Patch Community Garden’. There, they can take in the fresh air, the sights and sounds whilst embracing all that nature has to offer. For many of the residents at the home, gardening back in the day was important, being part of the community was also important and this magical place provides all that and so much more.

The sunflowers were out, but coming to the end of their bloom, however still creating a magical display. The herbs provided the ideal sensory experience for all our residents, whilst poly tunnels were bursting with home grown produce that got the residents talking and fully engaged in learning about the different varieties of vegetables. The bee hives provided a chance to reminisce on times past and learn about the importance of bees in our world.

One of our residents, Molly, said, “I love being outside, and this place is amazing, it is my first time here and I would love to come back, I just love it. The people are so nice here, and the tea is lovely.”

General Manager Marvellous at Elm Bank said: “The Green Patch Community Gardens, have provided an amazing space for our residents, as the summer is coming to an end, all of our residents will continue to attend the magical space and embrace all that it has to offer. Our residents have expressed their wishes to be out in nature, mixing with the local community and The Green Patch Community Gardens provides so much for our residents, right on our doorstep.”

Residents at Elm Bank care home in Kettering are embracing the great outdoors, while the weather is nice trips to ‘The Green Patch Community Garden’ based in Kettering are a must.

The day started with a lovely look around the fabulous 2.5 acre site, a meditation and yoga session along with Tai Chi were underway, with people of all abilities joining in.  The residents picked fresh blackberries and were thrilled to be a part of the community garden session, the sunflowers were out in full bloom and were a huge hit with the residents. The poly tunnels were bursting with home grown produce that got the residents talking and fully engaged in learning about the different varieties of vegetables. A walk around the Harmony Garden was delightful with the beautiful sights, sounds and smells of nature, it certainly touched all senses. The chickens reminded residents of times past and so to be up close and spend quality time with the chickens was very important for all.

Resident Pat said, “I love being outside in the fresh air, seeing everyone out, the chickens, the sunflowers, it is so nice to get out and stay active, keeps the mind going, I just love it.”