Activities at Overslade House Care Home

Excitement is in the air at Overslade House, where residents and staff have been busy making Coronation-themed decorations and baking up a storm of red, white and blue cakes and pastries with the help of head chef Joanne Kolat-Furca in preparation for the King’s Coronation on May 6.

Staff and residents at the home put their heads together and came up with a plan for their celebrations fit for a King. Our beautiful gardens were adorned with bunting and union jacks, our party suite had a purple and gold theme and a replica crown as a centrepiece, created by residents, the Activities Team and Carers.  Residents were given souvenirs and bottles of Charlymagne.

Over the bank holiday weekend the home, broadcast the Coronation on their large Projection Screen. Friends, Relatives and Residents, raised a glass and sang the new National Anthem for the King. This was followed by entertainment from Rugby based trio, The Starlings, who gave a perfect varied performance, to a backdrop of drone footage being shown of The Thames and the whole of London. People clapped their hands and tapped their feet. There was also a fun photo booth for people to take souvenir pictures. 

After eating the wonderful food everybody was then treated to a video performance of the D Day Darlings to end the afternoon. Everybody was in a party atmosphere mood and the whole home came together to celebrate our new King and talk about the new era the country is entering.

Coinciding with the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, International Nurses Day, held on Friday 12th May, is a day to celebrate nurses and care staff around the world. Residents and staff at Overslade House care home in were happy to get involved by hosting a much deserved afternoon tea and cake.

In 2023, the theme for International Nurses’ Day is Our Nurses. Our Future.  The International Council of Nurses is launching a global campaign to set out what it wants for nursing in the future in order to address global health challenges and improve global health for all.  International Nurses’ Day is a day to give thanks for the dedication of care givers everywhere, who go above and beyond the call of duty to deliver extraordinary care and support.

Iris and Linda, who live at Overslade House, said: “I used to be a nurse I worked in Malaysia amongst many other places and I know how tiring the job is, even more so these days – there is so much more to think about now than back in my day.  Linda finds it hard to take a back seat and is always caring towards other residents.  The staff here spend so much time and energy looking after us, it’s been lovely to show just how much we appreciate them, they do a smashing job and we are very grateful to them.” 

Overslade House marked the anniversary of Victory in Europe Day in style by throwing a 1940s afternoon tea party to remember.  The home was decorated in red, white and blue and residents and staff dressed up in their 1940s-inspired glad rags and enjoyed an afternoon of big band music and dancing.

Head chef Joanne Kolat-Furca whipped up a delicious selection of freshly-baked biscuits, sandwiches, cakes and pastries for the occasion, all washed down with pots of tea and a celebratory glass of fizz to mark the occasion. 

Residents observed the national two minute silence and listened again to Churchill’s iconic speech accepting Germany’s surrender and an address from the Queen.  They reminisced about their memories of VE Day, sang Land of Hope and Glory and watched clips of the celebrations that took place outside Buckingham Palace and all across London.  This was followed by the movie, Gracie Fields, starring Jane Horrocks.

Edna, 100yrs old and resident at Overslade House said: “I remember all the family gathering around the radio to listen to Churchill’s speech telling us the war was over, it still gives me goose bumps now, such an important date.  It was wonderful to reminisce and to celebrate with all the staff and residents here, we’ve all had such fun and lots of cake!”

Staff and residents at Overslade House, marked Dementia Action Week which took place from 15 – 21 May.  

Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning – thinking, remembering, reasoning – which can affect a person’s day to day life and activities.  Functions that can be impacted are memory, language skills, visual perception, problem solving, self-management and the ability to focus and pay attention.  The number of people living with dementia in the UK is forecast to increase to over 1m.

Staff and residents at Barchester’s Overslade House were treated to a fascinating session of sensory storytelling by Art Historian, Jon Sleigh, and the Historic Royal Palaces community team.

The Historic Royal Palaces are a charity who love and look after six of the most wonderful palaces in the world so that we can all enjoy them.  They tell the stories of monarchs we know, and the lives we don’t.  They let us explore these wonderful properties along with the animals that lived there and set our minds racing.

Across our services Residents had a wonderful time participating in an interactive virtual talk with Pippa Catterall, Professor of History and Policy at the University of Westminster, where we delved into the rich history of coronations.

During the talk, we explored fascinating topics such as the coronation chair, the crown, and other significant aspects related to King Charles' upcoming coronation. Our residents were thrilled to have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the memoirs of past coronations from 1937 and 1953, as well as learning about the coronation oath and what to expect from the ceremony, including the music, guests, and pageantry.