Activities at Overslade House Care Home

Overslade House would like to wish a very happy 55th Anniversary to Pat and Stan, who celebrated on Tuesday with a lovely 3-course lunch served in their room, with wine and a beautiful cake made by our hospitality team.

At Overslade House, we recognise the importance of maintaining meaningful relationships between residents and their loved ones. For many residents, mealtimes have always been a central part of family life, providing opportunities to connect, share stories, and create lasting memories. 

Following their move into Overslade House, Pat and Stan expressed sadness that family mealtimes had become less frequent and they missed that family connection. Overslade House aims to ensure that these experiences continue after moving into residential care.

Pat and Stan were delighted and surprised with their personalised table and also their cards and flowers. Pat said, “Thank you for going to so much trouble it’s absolutely lovely."

Residents at Overslade House Care Home in Rugby, run by Barchester Healthcare, are celebrating National Carers’ Week, which takes place from June 8–14. Residents wanted to thank all the wonderful staff at the home, whose hard work and dedication make a real difference to the lives of those living in their care. 

Carers Week is an annual event to raise awareness of care, highlighting the challenges carers face, and recognising the contribution they make to our residents, families and communities throughout the UK. The theme for Carers Week this year is ‘building carer-friendly communities’ to improve recognition and support for Britain’s 5.8 million unpaid carers.  Carers Week aims to raise awareness of the challenges carers face, acknowledge the vital contribution of carers and encourage them to seek support.
Staff were treated to an afternoon party with gifts. Head chef Corey Leake had put together a wonderful spread of party food for everyone to enjoy. Family and friends arrived throughout the afternoon to join in the fun with staff and residents.   

Genoveva Tamasi, General Manager, said: “It is so wonderful to be able to celebrate Carers Week and thank our fantastic carers with a party and to be able to welcome the community, relatives and friends. Everyone has had such a lovely afternoon.”

John, a resident at Overslade House, commented: “We’ve all had such a lovely time today. It really is a joy to be able to thank our wonderful carers for all that they do. They really are heaven sent.”

International Nurses Day is an international day observed around the world on 12 May (the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth) each year, to mark the contributions that nurses make to society.

Today, staff and residents celebrated our wonderful nurses and presented them with gifts. Head Chef Corey Leake made a delicious cake for our nurses and Chef Dario Mozzettini prepared some refreshments.  

Thank you to our nurses for the care, compassion and expertise you deliver daily to our residents to ensure their well-being.   

Maundy Thursday

Residents enjoyed an Easter Service conducted by Gift of Years. Many thanks to Cecil, Felix, Angela and Anthony for always bringing spiritual support to our residents.

Good Friday

The day that Christians reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus made to save us all.  Today we reflected and embraced the meaning of Easter with Easter Quizzes and games, conducted by Martin on Activities. Chef Dario Mozzettini prepared a lovely afternoon tea for everybody, with finger sandwiches and fresh cream scones. Many thanks to Madge’s daughter for her help serving afternoon teas. Activities Lead, Julie, donned her Bunny Ears to deliver the first of our Easter Eggs for some of our residents with special dietary requirements. Residents also pulled out the winning names from the Easter basket for the prize eggs.  

Easter Sunday

Residents enjoyed live entertainment from Julie and Martin, One Girl and The Piano Man and even got up and had a dance with friends, relatives and staff. Julie and Martin sang and played songs from the 50s to the 60s and also added a little bit of classical music too.  The atmosphere was joyful and everybody had a good time, singing and clapping along, giving feelings of joy, meaning, connection and well-being. Later in the afternoon, Ula and Anton continued to deliver Easter eggs to our residents, who were delighted with them.

Easter Monday

What a beautiful afternoon. Well done to our Easter Bunnies who hopped, skipped and jumped their way around our gardens with a little Spring in their step, following the signs to complete the Easter Egg Hunt. You were Eggcellent absolutely Baarilliant finding all the eggs. Our Easter colouring competition was won by one of the little bunnies at Bilton Bizzy Tots. Maria both won lovely Easter eggs. WELL DONE!  

Residents had a wonderful afternoon being entertained by Rugby School students, who are studying music at Rugby School.  Many thanks to Andrew Davey for arranging this for our residents.

The students sang and played for us, and we even heard publicly, for the first time, self-composed pieces. Andrew tells us that this student has been mentored by Hans Zimmer, a well-known German film composer and music producer.

Resident Nathan said, “It’s wonderful, absolutely beautiful." Other residents commented on how talented the students were. Once again, thank you so much to the students and Andrew Davey for a wonderful afternoon. We hope to see you again.        

Residents and staff at Overslade House care home in Rugby, Warwickshire honoured their local emergency services on the 9th September, Emergency Services Day, by visiting their local fire, air ambulance and police crews to deliver delicious home-baked goodies prepared by the home’s Hospitality Team and to thank all the staff stationed there for their selfless service keeping the community safe.   

Genoveva Tamasi, General Manager at the home, said: “Our local police officers, ambulance crews and firefighters put their lives on the line every day to save our lives, loved ones and homes, so we wanted to take the opportunity to let them know just how much we appreciate all that they do for us.  We think they are truly wonderful human beings.”

Pat, who lives at Overslade House care home, said: “I can’t imagine how terrifying it must be to go into a burning building to rescue someone or to turn up at the scene of a major incident not knowing what you are going to have to deal with, I think our fire and ambulance crews and our police officers are absolutely amazing and I can’t thank them enough for their service.  They are all heroes in my eyes.” 

Joan, also a resident at Overslade House said “I think they are absolutely wonderful and I’ve had a lovely afternoon delivering cakes to say thank you to them all”.

Today residents enjoyed live Reggae music from Activities Coordinator, Julie, who sang well-known songs with a calypso twist.  Also on the menu was Jerk Chicken with Pineapple, Pina Coladas and rice and peas made by Chef Dario Mozzettini.  Paige on Activities served up some colourful mocktails.  

Resident Val said, “it just reminded us of being on holiday, we were just reminiscing about places we have been to and how they would play this calypso music around the swimming pool and I love this kind of music!!” 

Dot said, “it’s been a lovely afternoon we have been spoilt and I really enjoyed it”.

Yesterday residents learnt the history of distilling whisky in Scotland, the production process, and the regional characteristics of single malts. Residents were able to enjoy a dram of Whisky and also enjoyed a quiz following the event.  

The Scotch Whisky Experience is a five-star visitor attraction located at the top of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, next to Edinburgh Castle. The Scotch Whisky Experience was opened in 1988, when 19 individual Scotch whisky companies wanted to create a showcase for the Scotch whisky industry. Their knowledge and experience allowed for a great event for all whisky lovers, or those with an interest in historic craft making!   

Residents learnt about:
• A brief history of distilling whisky in Scotland
• Basic steps of whisky production and how they impact flavour
• Difference between single malts and blends
• The regional characteristics of the single malts

Resident Joan said, "I didn't know so much was involved in just making a whisky!"

Jean said, "I used to enjoy a small whisky with ginger ale before bedtime, CHEERS!"        

Staff and residents at Overslade House are celebrating following a recent Care Quality Commission inspection which rated the home ‘Good’ after being praised for running a responsive, safe, effective, caring and well-led service. Staff and residents celebrated with a party. A wonderful spread of food was provided by Head Chef Corey Leake. The CQC inspected the home in January. The report was released in March and rated the home as ‘Good’ overall.

Overslade House has a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. One resident said, “I’ve been here about 6 or 8 months, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. My sister brought me here. I’ve been very happy here. I get on with 99% of the people and 100% of the staff.” ”A relative told us, “I can’t fault this place. The home is always well presented and clean.

Overslade House involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect and involved residents as partners in their care. “When I arrived, the home welcomed me and told me what was going to happen. They asked me quite a few questions so they found out about things that I liked and didn’t like.” “The staff are all excellent. They’ve looked after me and they make sure I’m okay. I can have a laugh and a joke with them, and I just need to ask if I want something." A relative told us, “The staff are always kind, and I see them being kind to everybody.” “The staff here are very well-trained. They’re good with mum and the other people here. I think they’re very well-trained and know how to deal with people with dementia.” 

People’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence. One person told us, “I think the staff here are well-trained for this work.” People had opportunities to join in activities provided by the home and also in the community to help support their wellbeing. Residents told us staff usually supported them to complete tasks independently. One person said, “Staff are great, I don’t need much support, but they just keep an eye on me, you know?”

People’s needs are met through good organisation and delivery. People spoke positively about their experiences of care and how staff supported them. One person said, “If there’s anything going on I’ll join in. I enjoy going out in a minibus. I enjoy fitness, bowls and the games. They knock on my door and ask me if I’d like to join in. If I want to join in, I’ll go down. I also enjoy quizzes.” One staff member said, “People’s families are given ‘Getting to know me’ booklets to complete. These tell us all about people’s preferences and hobbies.”    

The service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture. Staff felt valued and managers were visible and gave them support and guidance.

Residents at Overslade House enjoyed learning about the year of the Fire Horse and discovering what animals they were. Residents and relatives watched Chinese celebrations and also enjoyed a quiz on China, while enjoying Chinese nibbles and a glass of wine.

These are some of the traditions that Have Lasted 3,000 Years:-

Before 17 Feb, The Great Sweep, every home is deep-cleaned before the new year — sweeping out bad luck, literally and symbolically. 

Red: The Colour of Everything. Red is not just a decoration — it's armour. Rooted in the legend of the Nian, a fearsome beast repelled by red and loud noise, the colour dominates doors, clothing, lanterns, and envelopes. It represents luck, joy, protection, and prosperity.

Hóngbāo (Red Envelopes) is one of the most beloved Lunar New Year traditions globally. Red envelopes — filled with money — are given by elderly and married adults to children and younger relatives. The Reunion Dinner on New Year's Eve, the most important meal of the year. Families travel across the country — across the world — to be together. 

The streets roar. Dragon dances are performed to scare away evil spirits; lion dances bring luck and protection to homes and businesses.  3 March 2026 The Lantern Festival, The grand finale. On the 15th night — the first full moon — thousands of illuminated lanterns are released or displayed. Called Yuan Xiao, it marks both the end of winter and the end of celebrations.

Residents really enjoyed learning about which animal their year of birth symbolised and their personality traits and watching the vibrant colourful displays of red and gold.     

Overslade House recently presented The Reach for Health Centre in Daventry with a cheque for £2600 towards their Community Garden, a gardening club that is held weekly to help combat loneliness and isolation.

The Reach for Health Centre is a Charity based in Daventry, Northamptonshire and is involved in physical and mental health rehabilitation together with active wellness. 

The grant was awarded by Barchester Charitable Foundation, a charity that helps older people and adults with a disability or mental health problems across England, Scotland and Wales by offering grants to help people connect or re-connect with others in their local community.

Overslade House Care Home visited The Reach For Health Centre to join the local community and view the lovely garden that has been transformed into a space for people to sit and enjoy or partake in gardening activities and to celebrate being awarded the grant. The cheque was presented to Dan Miller, Executive Managing Director, and Danielle Coniff, Grants and Development Coordinator by resident Ambassadors for Overslade House, Val McQuillan and Evelyn Roberts.

Dan Miller, Executive Managing Director said, “Thank you so much to Barchester’s Charitable Foundation for the cheque, it has meant so much to us and the local community, in helping with mental health rehabilitation together with active wellness and combatting loneliness and isolation.”

Genoveva Tamasi, General Manager at Overslade House Care Home, said: “We are always keen to show as much support as we can to local charities. The Reach For Health Centre is a charity close to the care home’s heart as we have many residents who enjoy gardening, and we hope to join The Reach Health Centre for their Gardening Club on a Wednesday morning.”   

Kathryn Whittaker, a Housekeeper at Overslade House since 10th September 2007 recently completed a 5k run to raise money for cancer research in memory of somebody very close to her heart. 

Kathryn became friends with the relative of a resident residing at Overslade House and saw her as her second mother. Kathryn described her as being a lovely incredible kind friend who was loved and will be sadly missed.  

Kathryn took on the challenge amidst the hot weather and managed to raise over £300 in memory of her dear friend and towards Cancer research.

Resident Val celebrated her birthday with other residents and her family as we also celebrated the family bonds that tie us on Families Day.

The International Day of Families is observed annually on May 15th to celebrate the importance of families, promote awareness of family-oriented issues, and highlight the role of family units in communities worldwide. 

The Fabulous Neil Richardson entertained us with music from the west end and favourites from the 50s and 60s. Residents enjoyed having a dance and our hospitality team prepared delicious food and a beautiful cake for Val. Neil Richardson sang Happy Birthday to Val along with residents, families and staff. 

Val said, “Thank you so much, it’s been wonderful and a lovely surprise and I nearly didn’t come as I was expecting my son."

Fortunately, Val’s son was in on the surprise and celebrated with her.      

Residents at Overslade House enjoyed traditional Burns Celebrations. Staff and residents at the home were involved in a number of activities, including Scottish Documentaries, Scottish Quizzes, watching the art of Scottish Country Dancing and the Ceilidh.  

There was live entertainment in the afternoon from One Girl and The Piano Man with songs from many Scottish Artists and, of course, Auld Lang Syne written by Robbie Burns, to mark the Scottish institution, including giving the time-honoured address to the ‘Great chieftain O’ the pudding race’ – the haggis. Our residents enjoyed a hearty meal of Scotch broth, prepared by our stellar Chef, Corey Leake. Residents were joined by friends and family and enjoyed a toast during Auld Lang Syne.

Shirley, resident of Overslade House Care Home, said: “I enjoyed the live entertainment and having lived in Glasgow in Scotland for many years, I was thrilled to sing I belong to Glasgow on the microphone and hear many familiar songs like Loch Lomond and Flower of Scotland.”       

Resident,Tracey, at Overslade House Care Home had seen that Wicked For Good was now showing in cinemas.  Tracey is a huge fan of Disney movies and musicals and said she would like to see Wicked for Good, so the staff at the home made her wish a reality.

Tracey has lived at Overslade House Care Home for over 5 years and is beloved by staff and residents alike. Staff at the home were delighted to be a part of making her wish come true, as they knew how much it meant to her, and they all wanted to be there to see the smile on Tracey’s face when her wish was realised.

Staff first found out about Tracey’s wish and leapt into action to arrange a trip to the cinema for Tracey, who was accompanied by, Activities Lead, Julie Bateman and chauffeured by Activities Coordinator, Martin Higgs.  Carers made sure Tracey was dressed appropriately for the occasion as she donned her Elphaba witch hat, proudly.

In response to this wonderful surprise, Tracey said: “I was on the verge of tears. It is such an amazing feeling and was a lovely surprise. I was so excited when I found out and to know that such a loving group of people care so much about me that they helped me to live out a dream – and I didn’t even ask, I just mentioned it in passing, when the advert came on the tv”

Genoveva Tamasi,  Acting General Manager at the home, said: “We believe that every moment is worth cherishing.  We want everyone we care for to know how important they are to us here at Overslade House. It is testament to the hard work and dedication of the team here in making our residents’ dreams come true.  It was wonderful to see how happy Tracey was – and the staff loved being a part of this as well.”