Meet our Activities Coordinators, Tracy & Zoe

Tracy (left) and Zoe comprise the activities team here at St Thomas. Tracy joined us in January 2020 as the Activity Lead and has a wealth of experience in working with residents living with dementia.

Tracy and Zoe are passionate about enriching the lives of our residents, and involving the rest of the team at St Thomas, as well as relatives and visitors to the tome.

Activities at St Thomas

Our activities coordinator is dedicated to organising meaningful activities on an individual and group basis to fulfill the daily needs of our residents, as we understand how important mental and physical stimulation is for their wellbeing. Our activities are available to everyone who wants to take part and there is something different going on everyday. We often go out on day trips including visiting shopping centres, garden centres, evening meals at the local pubs, visits to local schools and also coffee mornings with other care homes. We have a wide range of entertainers that visit us at our home including musical therapists, Millers Ark Farm, pantomimes as well as our local salvation army and lots more. We encourage families to join us on trips out and also in home activities such as baking, arts and crafts, dancing and singing, we believe this is a great way for our residents to live an active and fun life here with us at St Thomas.

Life at St Thomas Care Home

Carnival time at St Thomas

St Thomas celebrated their very own version of the Notting Hill Carnival this year. Prior to the event the residents enjoyed making some beautiful masks in several crafting sessions with the activity team.

On Carnival Day the residents enjoyed listening to a range of music and sampling different ‘street food’ snacks and dishes. A very enjoyable day of music, colour and lots of laughter

Indigenous Craft Day

Residents are embracing different cultures to discuss and celebrate their travels over the years. For Indigenous Craft Day, the residents thoroughly enjoyed creating their own Aboriginal Rain Sticks. Given our current heat wave, the afternoon got very noisy, as a lot of stick tapping went on!

Flowers of Gratitude

Residents enjoyed an afternoon of crafting, where they made ‘Flowers of Gratitude’ Each resident told staff what they were grateful for in their lives. These beautiful flowers now have pride of place on the windows for everyone to enjoy

Friendship Day

To mark Friendship Day, the carers at St Thomas asked members of the community to write to residents in the home.

We were thrilled to receive quite a number of cards, and now the residents are busy writing back.

They have really enjoyed reading the cards and letters sent, and this has also sparked some lovely memories and discussions about their younger years.

103rd Birthday Celebrations

Nellie celebrated her 103rd birthday in style. Following a request to the local community via Facebook to try and get Nellie 103 cards for her 103rd birthday, they overwhelmed the Home with their response.

Nellie received 450 birthday cards, personalised birthday cakes and cupcakes. Morrisons donated a cream tea for all of the residents and staff to celebrate with her, and she even had her own balloon sculptures made.

Local and national newspapers picked up the story, which saw Nellie then appear in the Daily Express.

Nellie also received a personal video message from the Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane, Cllr Dianne Taylor, which she enjoyed watching with her daughter and son, who were able to visit her for the first time since March.

Nellie told us all that the secret to a long life is hard work and gin!

A Poem and a Hug

We recognise that both our residents and relatives have now not seen each other for a considerable period of time. Although the residents keep in touch with their loved ones through Zoom and phone calls, it is a difficult time for all.

St Thomas sent out this poem and a ‘hug’ keyring to loved ones. Residents also wrote or dictated messages to their loved ones on the poem, just to give them that extra personalised touch.

St Thomas has been receiving calls from families saying how touched they have been to receive them. We want to thank all our relatives for their continued support of the home. The kind comments and gifts, which have been sent in for the staff have meant so much to them.