Activities at Elm Bank Care Home

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.

Residents recently enjoyed a wonderful outing to their local Bosworths Garden Centre in Burton Latimer, having a good look around in the warm September sunshine and the garden centre was truly bursting with colour.

For the residents, there was plenty to see, smell and enjoy, the beautiful displays of roses, geraniums, begonias, fuchsias and lavender brought back some wonderful memories for the residents, who reminisced about their own gardens and favourite flowers. Of course, no outing would have been complete without a little treat, residents sat together in the beautiful café and enjoyed ordering some lovely toasted teacakes and warm drinks.

Tina, Activities Co-ordinator said, “The residents had a truly wonderful time, the afternoon allowed for us to all relax, enjoy each others company and simply have a good old chat in the beautiful surroundings. These simple moments mean so much, helping our residents to feel independent, feeling a connection, being confident and a real sense of belonging in the community.”

General Manager, Larisa Bledea, said: “Outing form a huge part of our homes life enrichment program and we truly enjoy taking our residents out.Trips like these to places in the local community mean so much to our residents and for our residents living with dementia this outing was a wonderful experience. We can not thank Bosworth’s Garden Centre enough for making us all feel so welcome.”
 

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, family and friends have been enjoying the wonderful benefits of regular visits from not one, but two much-loved Pets As Therapy (PAT) dogs. The two dogs, Charlie and Alma have quickly become a firm favourite with residents, staff, friends and family alike.

The visits bring an extra special warmth to the home with the residents enjoying the opportunity to spend time with the dogs, offering gentle strokes, sharing cuddles and simply enjoying their company. For many residents, the presence of a friendly dog can evoke treasured memories of pets they have loved throughout their lives.

Tina, Activities Co-ordinator said, “The dogs really provide far more than just companionship, their visits encourage conversation, connection and positive memories, while offering our residents a calming and comforting experience. Even residents who may not always wish to take part in activities, especially group activities can enjoy the gentle presence of a PAT dog.”

General Manager, Larisa Bledea, said: “It is so wonderful to be able to open our doors to these two remarkable PAT dogs. For our residents living with dementia, these dogs offer meaningful sensory experiences and allow for interaction without the need for conversation. We always look forward to welcoming Alma and Charlie to our home.”
 

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!

Residents, staff, family and friends came together to enjoy a wonderful summer barbecue, creating a warm and memorable afternoon that was filled with good food, music, laughter and plenty of dancing.

The afternoon barbecue offered everyone the opportunity to enjoy some traditional summer favourites, including delicious hot dogs, burgers and tasty accompaniments, all enjoyed in a relaxed and sociable atmosphere. Gavin provided great live music, residents and guests were encouraged to join in with dancing and singing adding to the cheerful occasion.

Tina, Activities Co-ordinator said, “The residents had a truly wonderful time, they were able to express themselves and simply enjoy the company of those around them. Gavin really got everyone up and dancing.”

General Manager, Larisa Bledea, said: “It is so wonderful to be able to host a barbecue at the home that is open to all, it was a great afternoon of music, dance and so many wonderful memories were made. Days like these are so important in our home, they really create magical moments for our residents, friends and family and bringing the community together.”