Activities at Plas-Y-Dderwen Care Home

We recently took a minibus trip to Carmarthen Town. Despite the gloomy weather, we were all in high spirits! Retail therapy always helps lift up our mood. The residents enjoyed exploring the local shops and some of them had shopping lists ready to ensure they didn't miss anything. Brenda couldn't resist trying on a few items from the sales rack but unfortunately, they weren’t quite the right fit!. Gill commented, "I'm really grateful for this opportunity to go into town. Since I gave up my car, I was worried I wouldn't be able to come here often, but these trips make it so easy. Thank you for inviting me." At Plas y Dderwen, we prioritize providing opportunities for our residents to maintain their lifestyle and routines. Ensuring their access to outings and the local community is an essential part of our life enrichment program.

1st March is one of the most colourful days of the year here in Wales. You’ll find bright daffodils, green leeks and vibrant traditional dress.

To celebrate the patron saint of Wales, we invited the children of Johnstown School to our home. We had two classes throughout the day, one group in the morning and another after lunch.

The children came in traditional Welsh clothes and brought gifts of daffodils, Welsh cakes and Welsh flags they had created themselves. Following the words of St David himself: gwnewch y pethau bychain – do the little things. What better way to celebrate than to bring those words to life with an outpouring of hwyl and kindness.

If that wasn’t enough, the children and teachers had worked hard to prepare a wonderful show for us all. The residents enjoyed listening to the children sing Welsh songs and they watched with sparkles in their eyes and smiles on their faces as the children blessed us with Welsh dancing.

Welsh cakes were enjoyed throughout the day and the Chef prepared traditional Welsh cawl for our evening meal. Delicious!

We recently organized a fabulous Afternoon Tea event to celebrate Mother's Day. Some of our residents contributed by arranging flowers which were used to decorate the dining room tables. Our hospitality, activities, and housekeeping teams worked together to prepare a variety of delicious treats of cakes, scones and sandwiches. Sandra made an amazing cake that impressed everyone who attended the event. It was heart-warming to see so many happy faces, and our residents enjoyed spending time with their loved ones. It was wonderful to see so many family members attend. Some of them even enjoyed a glass of Prosecco, whilst enjoying the joyous atmosphere.

On Mother's Day, we made sure to bring a smile to the faces of all the wonderful women on all communities, by hand-delivering a special gift to each one of them.

The staff and residents celebrated the arrival of the Chinese New Year in style. The dining room was beautifully decorated with hanging Chinese symbols, and everyone had a great time learning about the traditions and superstitions of the festival. One of the highlights of the day was the Chopstick Challenge, where residents had to use chopsticks to transfer fruit and chocolate from one plate to another. In the evening, our Chef cooked up a delicious oriental feast, which was served with prawn crackers. Gill Allcorn, one of the residents, was particularly impressed with the decorations, which brightened up the dining room. She also enjoyed the dragon costume worn by the Activities Co-ordinator, which made everyone laugh. Using chopsticks was another highlight of her day, and she found it fascinating to learn about different New Year traditions.

The staff and residents were treated to a virtual Valentine's table decorating masterclass by Kathryn Delve, a talented master florist. Kathryn is an independent florist who specializes in creating unique wedding and event flowers, all sourced from her local flower farm in Somerset. She takes inspiration for her displays from the beautiful scenery that surrounds her home and the changing seasons and colours.

During the workshop, residents were invited to join Kathryn to create beautiful Valentine's-themed table decorations. The displays will be used to decorate the home for Valentine's Day celebrations. The residents opted to display their arrangements in the main Dining Room and were delighted with the outcome.

Lisa Peart, the Activities Co-ordinator, said, "It was wonderful that our residents were able to follow along and create their own displays using flowers from our local supermarket. It was a fantastic afternoon, and we're so grateful to Kathryn for helping us make the home look lovely for Valentine's Day”.

During the workshop, residents were invited to join Kathryn to make beautiful Valentine’s-themed table decorations. The displays will be used to decorate the home ready for Valentine’s Day celebrations.  Some residents chose flowers in traditional red hues whereas others chose different Spring colours depending on their favourite blooms.

Kathryn commented: “Delivering fun workshops like this is absolutely the best part of my job.  I just love helping people create something beautiful and seeing how much pleasure they gain from the experience.  These table decorations are such a simple thing to do but so effective when you see them around the home.  I’m so glad I was able to work with the Barchester residents today, we all had a wonderful afternoon together.”

Activities Co-ordinator, Lisa Peart, said: “It was wonderful that our residents were able to follow along and create their own displays using flowers from our local supermarket.  It was a fantastic afternoon, we’re so grateful to Kathryn for helping us make the home look so lovely for Valentine’s Day.”

The staff and residents celebrated the arrival of the Chinese New Year in style. The dining room was beautifully decorated with hanging Chinese symbols, and everyone had a great time learning about the traditions and superstitions of the festival. One of the highlights of the day was the Chopstick Challenge, where residents had to use chopsticks to transfer fruit and chocolate from one plate to another. In the evening, our Chef cooked up a delicious oriental feast, which was served with prawn crackers.

Gill Allcorn, one of the residents, was particularly impressed with the decorations, which brightened up the dining room. She also enjoyed the dragon costume worn by the Activities Co-ordinator, which made everyone laugh. Using chopsticks was another highlight of her day, and she found it fascinating to learn about different New Year traditions.