Activities at Florence Court Care Home

Our residents had a wonderful time making their own pizzas recently! From rolling the dough to choosing their favourite toppings, everyone created some delicious masterpieces. There were plenty of colourful toppings to choose from including meats and veg! You also can't go wrong with a little extra cheese for good measure.

Food-based activities are a fantastic way to engage the senses, encourage creativity, and support hand–eye coordination, all while having lots of fun together.

We’re already looking forward to our next cooking session!


 

We had a wonderful visit from Lois, who came to sing for our residents again. Her performance brought so much joy and many smiles to everyone, and it was lovely to see residents singing along and enjoying the music together. She got us up and dancing and having a brilliant time! 

Thank you, Lois Matthews music, for such a fantastic and uplifting visit ... we can’t wait to have you back again soon! 


 

This week we celebrate our incredible Activities Team who bring joy, creativity, and purpose to each day to the residents in our home. From music and games to meaningful one to one moments, they work tirelessly to make life engaging, fulfilling, and fun for all our residents.

A huge thank you to Abi and Jo from Sarah, General Manager and Louise, Deputy and the whole team for the smiles you create, the memories you make, and the care you show every single day … we truly couldn’t do it without you!

 

A few of our residents enjoyed a trip to Garsons - Titchfield this week, where we had a great time browsing all the plants and beautiful homeware. This is always a popular outing for our residents!

We then finished off with tea and cake. It was such a relaxing visit, and a really lovely time was had by all!

What an absolutely magical day we had here at Florence Court. Residents, friends, family and staff had a wonderful time giving cuddles to the animals and they could not stop smiling! Pet therapy and stroking animals can help reduce stress, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness for people of all ages. The animals certainly improved everyone's moods here today! 

A massive thank you to Vikki's Pet Farm for making the day so successful. Vikki and her family care for many animals, including rescues, and they are all very well loved.


 

Our Valentine’s Celebrations started with our residents who enjoyed a wonderful afternoon filled with laughter, music, cake, and beautifully decorated spaces. Thank you to Natalie who provided us all with songs appropriate to the occasion! 

We also hosted a Valentine’s High Tea and invited our local community to celebrate with us. It was a lovely reminder that Valentine’s is all about connection, kindness, and feeling appreciated. A huge thank you to our Resident Ambassador, Barbara Parker who welcomed and seated all our guests! 

A big thank you to our amazing team and especially Abi from Activities for making the celebrations so special, and to everyone who helped spread the love. 

Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us!

 

Residents had a lovely afternoon visiting Alver Valley Garden Centre recently. Our ladies enjoyed looking at all of the items for sale; plants, mugs, scarves and more. We then sat down for some tea and delicious cake, with the sunshine coming in through the window, bringing hopes of an early sunny spring!

A very wholesome afternoon of chatting and reminiscing. We even met a few cute pooches along the way!

We recently took a group of residents to visit the Standing with Giants exhibition at Royal Armouries, Fort Nelson and it was truly amazing to see. The installation, 'For Your Tomorrow - The People's Tribute', consists of 1,475 silhouettes, representing the number of servicemen under British command who died on D-Day (6 June 1944). It also includes figures for French resistance fighters and specific female nurses. It has been displayed at the British Normandy Memorial in France and Fort Nelson in Portsmouth. 

It was cold afternoon, but that didn’t dampen the atmosphere at all … everyone was in great spirits, and the experience was incredibly moving. The adventure was made even more memorable as one of our residents at 101 years old experienced his first ever minibus trip! 
 

Seeing the installation in person really brings history to life and gives you a moment to pause and reflect. Thank you to everyone who made the trip possible! 

 

We have had a wonderful day enjoying lots of festive fun! 

Residents and staff enjoyed a sprinkle of holiday cheer by getting creative with gingerbread decorating, holding a Christmas singalong and we were also very lucky to have a visit from Father Christmas himself!

Happy Christmas from us all at Barchester's Florence Court!


 

We had an absolutely delightful afternoon here at Florence Court, as our residents took part in a wreath making workshop led by the lovely Ellen and her mum Liz from SimplySeasonal2023. The bistro was filled with laughter, warm conversation, and the calming scent of fresh greenery. Everyone got hands-on with ribbons, dried fruit, and beautiful decorative pieces.

It was lovely to see how engaged everyone was, helping each other choose colours, sharing ideas, and proudly showing off their finished wreaths. Each creation was unique, reflecting the personality and style of the resident who made it!

 

What a fantastic Dementia Disco with Marcus again! 

The music was flowing, the smiles were everywhere, and our guests and residents absolutely loved it. We even ended up with a conga line weaving through the room – pure joy from start to finish! 

Moments like these remind us how powerful music is for bringing back memories, movement, and happiness. Thank you, Marcus, for another brilliant Disco!! 

 

What a lovely time our residents had at Tides Coffee Shop in Fareham.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed a relaxing treat of tea and delicious cake, along with plenty of smiles and good conversation.

Afterwards, we took a gentle stroll down to the waterside near the boats, where our residents had great fun feeding the birds and enjoying the fresh air and beautiful views. 

 

Thank you to the talented Matt O'Neil for coming to perform for us! We had such a great morning of music and smiles!

Matt always likes to test our knowledge with a bit of music trivia between each song! Testing music knowledge helps keep the mind active, boosting memory and engagement. It’s a fun, enjoyable way to support our residents’ wellbeing and mental stimulation🎙

We look forward to rock and rolling with you again soon with Rock & Roll Music Therapy.

 

What a wonderful time we had celebrating the festive season with our residents and their families! A huge thank you to Nathalie Gunn - Performer, who filled the room with Christmas cheer by performing a beautiful variety of festive songs for everyone to enjoy!

Guests were treated to delicious refreshments, including warming mulled wine, hot chocolate, and a selection of light bites, making it the perfect cosy afternoon together.

Staff also had a great time dancing along to the Christmas hits!

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the afternoon so special. Moments like these truly capture the spirit of Christmas!
 

We proudly hosted two special Veteran’s High Teas here at Florence Court to honour the brave men and women who have served our country.

Guests from our community and residents enjoyed an afternoon of delicious tea, homemade cakes, and heartfelt conversation … sharing memories, laughter, and gratitude.

A huge thank you to our wonderful team for creating such a warm and meaningful event ... our Chef team, our three volunteers from the community and to our veteran’s for their service and stories that continue to inspire us all.