Activities at Harton Grange Care Home
We understand that the people we support have passions and interests that could be difficult to pursue after moving into a care home – but that doesn’t mean we don’t encourage them to try! Some hobbies can define a person, so our Activities Coordinators are dedicated to ensuring that everyone we support is able to do what makes them happy to the best of their abilities. Social events are organised with individual tastes in mind and with the idea that residents have the opportunity to try new and exciting things.
Marius Sidoriuc
Hi, my name is Marius, I am the activities coordinator here at Harton Grange. I joined Barchester's family in 2021, as I found their approach and standards on dementia very interesting. Since early 2022 I work for Barchester as both activities coordinator and care assistant. In 2018, I started my journey in health and social care as a care assistant and very soon after, I completed courses on dementia and activities (NAPA, level 2) and I worked as both activities coordinator and care assistant in Kent. I'm also an apprentice in health and social care. I've met some amazing people that have guided my understanding of dementia.
The most important thing for me is to see our residents achieving a meaningful raison d'etre, living as they like and to benefit from a range of activities starting from Namaste to reminiscing and spiritual needs (such as praying or listening to hymns), art and craft, armchair exercises, music therapy or finger nail pamper sessions.
I like to acknowledge that I am working as a part of a whole team, including the fantastic management, hospitality and maintenance departments, promoting a person centred approach for each resident and we are glad to know each persons preferences and abilities in order to plan how the day will look with them. One way we are able to do this is through our residents' and family' meetings where we try to let everyone have their say about the way they want to live and the activities they take part in.
Read our brochure 'Life-enriching activities' for more information about life in our care homes.
Read our brochure
Activities and Events Partnerships
As part of our bespoke life-enrichment programmes, we host a number of live virtual events in the home on a regular basis through a number of partnerships with places of interest and world class performance companies
Life at Harton Grange Care Home
A Visit from Mr. Bunny
Mr. Bunny came in this year with plenty of chocolate figures donated by Judith, Thomasina’s niece. He received a very warm welcome from our residents as he visited all of them and wishes to them a Happy and Peaceful Easter. Linda, Jane's daughter, was very happy to see Mr. Bunny visiting her mother. I was happy too.
To have an Easter Display was a brilliant idea very appreciated by our residents and visitors. We enjoyed to take pictures with Mr. Bunny and Mrs. Duck having in background the Easter display. Judith, our manager, said: "It was a great experience for our residents. They loved to see the Easter display and to have pictures with Mr Bunny. We had an Easter Egg Hunt as well. I enjoyed very much to see everybody happy as we had a lot of fun. I want to wish to all of you Happy Easter."
Beverly, our deputy manager, enjoyed as well and had fun with our residents and found some eggs.
Back to School
We had a fantastic time at Park View School where our friends celebrated their end of the term. We received a friendly and very warm welcome from all the teachers and children we met there. Moira was herself a teacher and she enjoyed very much to go back in time in.... the classroom and to look through the pupils' notebooks.
Diane remembered her time in school: she didn't like to go to school, but said she loves the way Laura is teaching the children, therefore was happy to be back in the classroom. Anne didn't resist and insisted to play ping-pong and made a lot of new friends. We were very happy to see how our friends from Park View School are keeping a Memory Book where we have a special place as we have activities with our friends every Monday. By the end of our visit we played bingo; we didn't win, but we thoroughly enjoyed the visit.
Easter Sunday
Diane and David wanted to attend the Sunday service and the service was a special one as it was Easter Sunday: the Jesus's resurrection. We were happy to meet again the friends we made last time here, in the church - they didn't forget us.
Sam was great, as always, and Diane was very happy to listen his words. We witnessed a baptism today: Mary and Jake were baptised and this reminds David of his own.
Revisiting Memories
We went on a journey to the past and visited Wheatley Hill and Shotton Colliery. Doris wanted to pay a visit to the villages she grew up and work in. We invited Jean and Kitty to come with us and they happy accepted the invitation. We visited St. Saviour's church where Doris was married in 1945 and after we visited the house her sister, Betty, lived in and the school her sister used to teach at.
We discovered how was the social life here decades ago. Doris impressed Jean and Kitty (and us, of course) with her accurate memories; she didn't just register the past, but everything is connected with a story and is living in Doris' heart as well ...
After driving around Shotton and seeing how it has changed we then visited Wheatley Hill were Doris grew up. We visited the house that she grew up in. When Doris saw this street where she had the house, she said very loud "Look, look there, from here I used to take the bus, I was running in the morning to catch the bus!" It was so intense than I try to look to see a young lady running early morning to catch the bus... Oh, the memories are so fantastic sometimes, they are as Pegasus horse, they take us, in no time, into places we haven't been for long time. Even Kitty and Jean enjoyed this journey back in time. We had a fantastic day and would like to thank Arthur and Muriel at St. Saviour's church for taking time out their day to open the church and chat with us. Now, this village, Shotton, is sitting there with a new life, with a new spirit but, somehow, it is still keeping on his shoulders the old generations' wishes, dreams, aspirations and is hoping for a better future.
Newcastle Cathedral
On Easter Monday we decided to attend an organ recital held in Newcastle Cathedral. As Anne, Noel and Kitty didn't use the metro for a few years, they said they would like to take the train to Newcastle. Mary, Noel's wife, was happy to come with us and to help Noel. We went to Tyne Doc Metro station, bought the train tickets, and happy we headed towards Newcastle Central. Everybody enjoyed the feeling of being in the train.
We were happy to take a short walk in Newcastle, we felt the vibe of the city, and after this urban experience we went to listen the organ recital (from Bach, Vierne, Widor, Rousseau, Tournemire and Durufle). Noels loves classic music. Anne and Kitty used to attend the service and they enjoyed very much to sound of organ.
After this musical experience, we went to Cafe 16, and we took the train back to our home in South Shields.
Mothers Day
We were very happy to celebrate Mother's day. Every mother was celebrated and also every mother was offered a box of chocolate and a special cake. Thank you Judith, our manager, for your continuous support and also.
I would like to dedicate this poem to all the mothers from our home with a special thank you to Dorothy who helped me to make all the cards for Mother's day...
Tribute to Mother
A picture memory brings to me;
I look across the years and see
Myself beside my mother’s knee.
I feel her gentle hand restrain
My selfish moods, and know again
A child’s blind sense of wrong and pain.
But wiser now, a man gray grown,
My childhood’s needs are better known
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