Activities at Overslade House Care Home

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.        

What a fabulous Christmas we had, with many smiling faces. Families got together and exchanged gifts, some residents went out for lunch and some families joined us at the home for a wonderful lunch cooked by Chef Dario Mozzetini. The hospitality team made sure everybody had everything they needed.
The Activities team were joined by Anton Swaby, dressed as Santa, whose mother resided at Overslade House. 

Also, Chandralekha, who used to volunteer at Overslade before going to university and also gave up her time to deliver presents to our residents.

Residents enjoyed many festive events, including a virtual theatre viewing of A Christmas Carol performed live from The Old Vic Theatre. Our activities team served popcorn, hot chocolate, mince pies and mulled wine during the interval. Resident Josie, who stayed with us over Christmas, said, “that was very good. I enjoyed that, and thank you for the refreshments.“ 

A Carol service was conducted by Cecil, Felix and Angela from Gift of Years. Thank you so much for your readings and carols. Residents went out on Christmas Lights trips on our minibus. Jim exclaimed, “I have never in my life seen houses lit up like this before!” Jean said, “ooh aren’t they beautiful? Thank you for showing us. We had many live entertainers, including St Marks Church Choir, the Rugby Men’s Choir and also the Rugby Bilton Silver Band.

A heartfelt thank you to Princethorpe College for inviting Overslade House for a Christmas Lunch.  Nathan said, “thank you that was a lovely meal, and thank you for inviting us. I mean that, from the bottom of my heart, residents also enjoyed a Christmas Lunch at Draycote water with live entertainment."

Diwali is the "Festival of Lights," symbolising the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance. The name "Diwali" means "a row of lights," which refers to the custom of lighting rows of oil lamps. While the specific stories and traditions vary across religions, its central theme is hope, renewal, and positivity.

Our residents were whisked off on a virtual trip to India to learn about the history of Diwali. Residents also watched a demonstration on creating Rangoli and enjoyed painting Rangoli afterwards. 

Many thanks to Chef Dario Mozzettini who created some lovely samosas and onion bhajis with mango chutney for our residents and Indian colleagues to sample, which all went down very well. Shirley said, “Well, they were not too spicy at all. I enjoyed the onion bhajis.

It was lovely to see all the lights and fireworks celebrating Diwali.  

Resident, Jim Sheils, at Overslade House Care home in Rugby, Warwickshire, had seen the band The Eagles many years ago and said he liked the Eagles' music and would be nice to see them again. Activities Lead, Julie Bateman, sprang into action as she had friends who performed an Eagles Tribute Show, called Talon. As luck would have it, they were playing locally at Kilworth House Theatre and there were very few tickets left.

Staff at the home were delighted to be a part of making his wish come true, as they knew how much it meant to him, and they all wanted to be there to see the smile on Jim’s face when his wish was realised.
Staff found out about Jim’s wish and, ever since then, they have been dedicated to helping him achieve it. Jim was accompanied by Activities Lead, Julie Bateman and Activities Coordinator Martin Higgs, who were there to witness this momentous occasion.

In response to this wonderful surprise, Jim said: “It was a lovely surprise and a great night. Talon were excellent, my favourite song is Hotel California, and they performed it brilliantly. Julie on Activities knows the band, so I got to take a picture of them, which was also a surprise. It is such an amazing feeling to know that such a loving group of people care so much about me that they helped me to live out a wish – and I didn’t even ask.”

Genoveva Tamasi, General Manager of 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 Jim was – and the staff loved being a part of this as well.”

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.     

Staff and residents at Overslade House care home in Rugby, Warwickshire, honoured their local Pharmacy Health services by delivering delicious home-baked cakes prepared by the home’s head chef, Corey Leake and to thank them all for their selfless service in helping towards our residents’ health and well-being. Clinical Lead, Glory Rajamani and Activities Coordinator Martin Higgs and Activities Lead Julie Bateman visited local pharmacies to deliver the cakes. 

Genoveva Tamasi, Acting General Manager at the home, said: “Our local pharmacies are invaluable to our homes and residents with their expertise and knowledge, so we wanted to take the opportunity to let them know just how much we appreciate all that they do for us.”

John, who lives at Overslade House Care Home, said: “I feel secure knowing that my health and wellbeing needs are taken care of by Overslade House and our pharmacies and I can’t thank them enough for the care and expertise they provide to residents.”  

Our Harvest Festival saw the welcome return of Angela, Cecil and Felix from Gift of Years today, who conducted our Harvest Festival with wonderful hymns and readings. Cecil and Felix also visit our residents in their rooms weekly to spread the good word of the Lord and provide spiritual support for our residents or just a comforting chat. 

We were left with food for thought when Cecil concluded, “Always remember you reap what you sow!” Resident Elaine said, “That was a lovely service. Thank you very much.” Thank you so much to Gift of Years for a lovely service.

Residents also received Holy Communion from Rev Alan Hulme.   

Overslade House care home in Rugby, celebrated Housekeeping Week, which takes place from September 14–20. Housekeeping Week is an annual event held every year during September. The week is dedicated to recognising the efforts of our wonderful and hard-working housekeeping staff around the world and in our home. 

Residents and staff reminisced about how housekeeping has changed during their lifetime. Residents talked about when they first got domestic appliances such as washing machines and vacuum cleaners, and how their lives were changed by advances in technology over the years. Head Chef, Corey Leake, had put together a lovely Thank you Cake for everyone to enjoy. Family and friends joined in the fun with staff and residents. 

Genoveva Tamasi, General Manager, said: “It is so wonderful to be able to celebrate Housekeeping Week and thank our fantastic staff for all that they do. We’re all so happy to be able to welcome the community, relatives and friends into our home to celebrate with us.

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 housekeepers – they do so much for us.”

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.”    

Residents  were treated to a visit from the Rugby Male Voice choir, who gave us some wonderful songs, and also the Mayor of Rugby Barbara Brown and Mayor’s Consort Elly.

The reason for their visit was to present an honorary award to resident John Evans, who has been a member of the choir for over 50 years. John was a well-respected Head Teacher in Rugby and was also an excellent athlete, which was another passion of his, alongside teaching and singing. Mayor Barbara Brown worked as a secondary school teacher before taking on an advisory education role, working at schools across Warwickshire and was delighted to present John with his award.

John was surprised and emotional when the Mayor and Rugby Male Voice choir elected John to be their vice president. John was surrounded by family, friends and residents when he received his reward, for which he was so grateful and John loved hearing the choir again.

We look forward to seeing the Male Voice Choir at Christmas and our Mayor and Consort, who are always welcome. For her Mayoral theme, the Mayor plans to promote 'hearts and minds' to highlight the importance of physical and mental wellbeing, something very close to Barchester Healthcare‘s heart.    

Residents celebrated World Animal Day with a visit from The Alpaca Pals, who visited our residents from room to room. The Alpaca Pals brought with them Dante and little wriggler Rupert. Rupert is only 1 year old and behaved so well. 

Resident Lilian said, “aren’t they beautiful and so soft?” Many staff members and visitors wanted to take Rupert home. No offence, Dante, you are very handsome!

Thank you so much to Jane and Rachel for helping to enrich the lives of our residents and probably walking 10 miles in the 2 hours you are with us walking from room to room. We look forward to seeing you next year. Animals have proved to be very therapeutic and beneficial to cognitive well-being, and we think the smiles in our photographs tell all.    

Residents Marjorie and Jim headed out to deliver cakes with our Activities Team today made by our Hospitality Team to take to our local Emergency Services, in recognition of Emergency Services Day. Our first stop was at the Air Ambulance headquarters, where staff were very happy with their special delivery as we thanked them for their service.

Next we visited Warwickshire Police, who were also very grateful for their cakes. We then headed to Rugby Red Watch who were unfortunately on a call-out. Please come and have tea and cake with us anytime.

Finally, we headed to Central Surgery and when asked if they would like some cakes, replied, “now that’s a silly question, of course!” Again we thanked them for their service.

Residents Marjorie and Jim 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, and it is so nice to be able to show our appreciation and give something back.”