Activities at Plas-Y-Dderwen Care Home

Christmas Day at Plas was truly special. 

An Elf and Mrs Claus visited all the communities, delivering thoughtful person-centred Christmas presents from the home. The residents had a fantastic time, and seeing the joy on their faces as they opened their gifts was magical! The magic of Christmas is real!

The chef prepared a delicious Roast Turkey lunch that was a hit with everyone, and the afternoon was filled with cheer and merriment.

We had a truly delightful time on our minibus trip for Christmas lunch at The Hollybrook Country Inn. We made two outings in December to ensure that many residents had the chance to visit the Hollybrook Christmas Lunch.

The Hollybrook Country Inn holds a special place in our hearts here at Plas, as one of our residents once ran the pub with his wife, and it is now managed by their daughter. Being able to bring him back to the pub he once ran, along with other residents, makes this experience even more meaningful to us.
It is an absolutely charming place! The bar and dining area were perfectly decorated, creating a festive wonderland with a beautifully arranged Christmas tree that set the perfect holiday mood. 

We started with a drink in the bar before heading into the dining room for a sumptuous roast turkey lunch — the most delicious Christmas dinner we could have asked for. The residents thoroughly enjoyed pulling crackers and engaging in lively conversation. Several family members joined us for the occasion, making it an unforgettable time for everyone involved. 

On our way home our minibus took a tour around Carmarthen Town to see all the Christmas Lights sparkling around the Town. A huge thank you to Gemma and Jacqui at The Hollybrook, for their warm welcome and for all the care and effort they put into providing this experience for our residents, absolutely fantastic service!

Excitement reached fever pitch when we welcomed Welsh singer-songwriter, Bronwen Lewis, into our home for a wonderful afternoon of entertainment.  

On Friday December 13th, Welsh singer/songwriter, Bronwen Lewis visited Plas Y Dderwen to entertain our residents and their families, and sprinkle her Christmas magic along the way. In a break from selling out gigs, Bronwen Lewis delighted everyone by performing an intimate gig just for the staff, residents and their families. The whole home was blown away when we won Bronwen’s social media-run competition to have our own concert. 

Everyone was amazed by her generosity in taking the time to come to the home and entertain us with her amazing vocals and her fabulous back catalogue of songs translated into Welsh. It really was a dream come true for the home who literally could not believe their luck.
Senior General Manager, Sharon Herbert, commented: “We are so grateful to Bronwen for coming to perform a concert just for us, we really had to pinch ourselves to believe it was happening! Everyone was so excited!  We all feel incredibly blessed that singing royalty like Bronwen came to visit us at Plas Y Dderwen.  It felt like the best Christmas present in the world and one I am sure we will remember and treasure forever. We all want to thank her from the bottom of our hearts.”  

Geraint Griffiths, a resident at Plas Y Dderwen, added: “Bronwen has the most amazing voice, it was wonderful to hear her singing just for us. We all had the most fantastic time. It was so kind of her to come and visit us. It is all anyone can talk about, just how lucky we are that we won the competition! What an absolutely marvellous thing to happen!”

Every Saturday between 10 and12, Dr Mz transitions group opens its doors to 6-12 year olds.  

Their aim is to nurture confidence, resilience and independence through play and learning. As well as encouraging peer relationships and new friendships. 

They also have a group of older members who attend to mentor and support the sessions which develops their skills and demonstrates commitment.

This month, the youth group came to visit our home. The children had a wonderful time engaging with our residents, playing board games such as draughts. The residents had a wonderful morning with the children.

The group even shared some of their favourite songs of the modern music world. 

Every month, we host a joint birthday party to celebrate all the residents with birthdays that month.

This month, we celebrated our second joint birthday party, recognizing all of our November-born residents. It was wonderful to have family members join in on the fun.

The afternoon included games like "Pass the Parcel," singing and dancing to party tunes such as 'YMCA', and even a lively round of the Hokey Cokey that had our Activities team working up a sweat!

Everyone had a fantastic time, and the celebration wrapped up with a delicious buffet supper that the residents couldn't wait to enjoy.

This month, Plas y Dderwen celebrates 30 years of providing care and support to our residents.

While many things have evolved over the years, one thing remains constant: our unwavering commitment to the well-being of those who call our home their own.

Ann, our Activities Assistant, has been with us since the very beginning. Over the past week, she has shared some wonderful stories from her time here, as well as photos from the early days, many of which were on display during the celebrations.

To mark this special anniversary, we hosted a delightful Afternoon Tea, accompanied by live musical entertainment from the fantastic duo, It takes two (Singing Duo) . Everyone had a fantastic time, singing along to classic tunes and enjoying a selection of delicious treats, both sweet and savoury.

We also had a visit from Carmarthenshire Party Ponies & Therapy Pets who brought smiles to our residents, family, friends and staff with Toby the Pony and Peanut the giant rabbit.