Activities at Highview House Care Home

There is a big difference between singing to somebody and singing for them.  

At Highview, our performers are all experienced in performing for care home residents. Residents living at Highview are encouraged to participate through movement, song and interaction with our visitors.   

Throughout the year, performers of music, theatre and dance (and much, much more) put on shows which include our residents, turning passive activities into fully interactive experiences assisting mood, mental health and physical mobility.  

Our shows often represent themed days, such as New Year's, Burns Night and, of course, Christmas. All of them are intended to allow residents of all mobility levels to take part in the most enjoyable possible ways.     

Resident Nabby Mackenzie, at Highview House in Scorguie, Inverness, has never been afraid of the big stage, and has often spoken of his dream of performing, so staff at the home made his ambition a reality – thus proving the old adage, it’s never too late.  Nabby made his musical debut at the age of 94 when local musical favourites The Margaret Thompson Band came to perform for residents.

A published author and renowned raconteur, Nabby has lived at Highview House for nearly three years, and is beloved by staff and residents alike for his wit, musical prowess and charm. When Margaret and her band came to perform in the home, Nabby was invited on stage to perform his harmonica, and lead the residents through a medley of songs.

Aiden Wylie, Lead Activities Coordinator at the home, said: “At Highview we focus on resident-centred care. That means, if we know a specific activity will bring joy to a resident, we’ll do our utmost to make it happen.  We want everyone we care for to know how important they are to us, both collectively and individually. We really appreciate Margaret and her band for playing alongside Nabby – it was a thrill for all of us to see his very obvious enjoyment of the spotlight.  Maybe there is still time for Nabby to go professional!” 

Highview House residents a fortunate to live just five minutes’ drive from the main dock for the Seagull Trust highland branch. The Seagull Trust run short cruises along the Caledonian Canal, with afternoon teas and musical accompaniment.   

Every summer, residents embark on a number of trips, passing along the canal and through the swing bridges. No sign of Nessie yet, although herons and other aquatic wildlife have been spotted!  

Following a recent exemplary report from the Care Inspectorate, staff and residents at Highview House care home were further delighted to be named one of the UK’s Top 100 care homes out of more than 14,000 care homes across the whole country, by online care finder, Lottie.

The inaugural Lottie Awards recognise and celebrate care homes across the UK that demonstrate exceptional commitment to residents, families and staff. The team at Lottie conducted a comprehensive, data-driven review of thousands of homes across the UK, assessing them against key criteria that matter most to families when choosing care, including CQC ratings, enquiry response times, digital presence, team wellbeing and resident feedback.
 

Residents at Highview were pleasantly surprised to see these winged wonders flying around their lounge as several birds from Yorkshire based, conservation specialists Owl Adventures paid a visit.   

From the comfort of their own lounge, residents were able to hold and feed the owls, while learning about their lives in the wild, as well as the conservation work.

Highview House is set in the scenic city of Inverness, with nationally recognised sites of natural beauty all around.  Our activities team use the minibus to take trips into the city to visit popular attractions, but even more popular are our out-of-town field trips. The Black Isle, year-round home to dolphins and porpoises, is just half an hour’s drive away.  

Residents are also living in close proximity to farmland, forests and woodland, country parks and nature reserves – all of which feature regularly on the activities calendar throughout the year.  Our activities team are always on the lookout for new places to visit, while at the same time taking advantage of the beauty of the surrounding nature of the Highlands. 

Keep an eye out for our silver Barchester minibus – we’ll be on our way to yet another adventure near you in the very near future.  

Residents at Highview have a whole world of interests and hobbies.  We offer opportunities to continue these, while also encouraging residents to pick up new skills. From Japanese language, to gardening, baking and exercise classes, our residents have regularly scheduled groups which meet on a weekly basis – leaving plenty of time for surprise guests, performances and outings.  

For residents who thrive on regularity, our clubs and societies meet at the same time every week, creating a sense of routine and something to look forward to. Our clubs also welcome guest presenters who guide and contribute new ideas and expertise.  

It was a day to remember as residents of Highview House held their first ever garden party. Residents were joined for the day by an array of guests, as the home opened its doors for a day of celebration of community and inclusion.

With delicious home-baked goodies, a tombola stall full of awesome prizes, garden activities, special guests and Carole-Anne's very own craft stand, there were plenty of things to do for all the home, family and friends, old and new! By the time the heavens opened at 2.30, funds had been raised for the Residents' Fund and the day was rounded off with a performance of traditional music. 

Our thanks go to all the family, friends and staff who assisted the activities team on the day, Northern Constabulary Community Pipe Band, NorCon PipeBand, for the musical entertainment, The Fish and Chip Van for providing the fantastic food truck, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for being such good sports and fielding questions from potential recruits both young and old and Margaret Thompson and her band for rounding off the day in style.

Music holds a special place in the hearts of all at Highview.   It helps foster and develop a sense of community, but it also introduces new cultures and ideas.   We can use music to meet new people, and to revisit past times.   Over the last week, Highview House has played home to a series of events celebrating the Highlands and Islands of the North of Scotland.

We have held concerts by first the Margaret Thompson band, and then Eric Bell.  Both of these performances showcased the traditional music of the local area, while also introducing residents to French, Italian and even Eastern European folk music and stories.  

Throughout the year, Highview plays hosts to musicians of all types, and no matter what kind of music you like, there will be something you enjoy on our calendar. 

Residents at Highview were thrilled to welcome international recording artist Brandon McPhee to the home. Brandon was incredibly generous with his time, playing for residents in our comfortable lounge, before going on to visit residents who love music but preferred to stay in their rooms.

With a vociferous ‘haste ye back’ from residents and family members alike, we hope it won’t be long before Brandon returns to Highview.

Oh, what fun we had at our annual Christmas pantomime, as the residents at Highview were treated to a hilarious and interactive performance by the wonderful Theatre Presto.  

The immersive show – this year titled ‘Jackie and the Beans Talk’ – was full of resident interaction, laughter and singing.    Residents were treated to a hilarious show, based loosely on the classic Jack and the Beanstalk, and were joined by family, friends and staff from across the home.  

Our thanks to the wonderful Theatre Presto, who have produced the Highview Pantomime for the past few years, and we look very much forward to seeing what they do next year.  

Our monthly community café is more than just an excuse to break out of fine China. Each month, residents, staff and family members are joined by a familiar face from the wider Inverness community for a coffee and a chatter using the Barchester Getting To Know You board game. This is a great way to meet faces new and old, and to keep in touch with the Inverness scene.    

We look forward to meeting more local figures at our monthly café.

With temperatures soaring, we know that hydration is essential for our residents. And what better way to enjoy the summer sun than by taking a minibus trip out to some of our favourite ice-cream parlours? Whether that be soft scoop or artisanal gelato, Inverness serves something for everyone - and there’s very little more enjoyable than a cold ice-cream on a hot day!  

Throughout the summer, our residents want to take advantage of the warmer weather and our activities team are always on hand to run extra trips. With gardens, beaches, farms and parks all within a ten-minute drive of the home, you’ll see our residents (in their minibus) heading out to a destination near you at least once a week during July and August. 

Highview House care home, in Scorguie, Inverness, had an absolute hoot on Friday, 23rd of May, when a group of owls came to visit the home.

Residents at Highview were pleasantly surprised to see these winged wonders flying around their lounge as several birds from Yorkshire-based conservation specialists Owl Adventures paid a visit. From the comfort of their own lounge, residents were able to hold and feed the owls, while learning about their lives in the wild, as well as the conservation work.

Lead activities coordinator Aiden Wylie said: “Our residents have really enjoyed their unusual visitors today. We knew that having the owls here would be a bit of fun for all our residents, but this proved to be equally enjoyable and informative. Activities in care homes don’t always need to be about recreating the past – now our residents can tell people. ‘Yes, I have held a bird of prey.’ That’s not something many of us can say.”

Resident Jesse Mackenzie said she was overjoyed by the Owl Adventures experience: “The owls are absolutely beautiful. It was such a thrill to hold them. I can’t honestly say that I would ever do something like that.  What a great day!”

Highview House care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals. Highview provides residential care, nursing care and dementia care for more than seventy residents, from respite care to long-term stays.

Highview House is fortunate to be located less than ten minutes’ drive from the berth of the Inverness branch of the Seagull Trust. The Seagull Trust provides canal cruises in a specially adapted boat, with access for residents with all levels of mobility. Trips are accompanied by music and afternoon tea.   

One of the most popular activities on the calendar, our residents are regular attendees on exclusive trips along the Caledonian Canal. With the wind in their hair, these two-hour cruises are a wonderful opportunity to see other boats, wildlife and generally enjoy the finest scenery Inverness has to offer.