Activities at Waterside Court Care Home

Residents have been enjoying their first week at Waterside Court. From 1:1 “Getting to Know Me” activities, to Garden Walks and Afternoon Tea, residents have been exploring their wonderful new home and building relationships with each and every team member.

Roxana Moldovan, General Manager at Waterside Court, said: “It’s been wonderful to be open and finally welcome residents into this stunning home. I’ve loved getting to know each and every one of them – those already in the home and those due to arrive in the next few weeks. It’s also been lovely to see friendships already forming between the residents themselves.”

One of the activities that has been well received is watching movies in the beautiful cinema room. Residents have been putting their feet up to a mixture of Classic and Modern films, whilst enjoying a cup of tea and snacks. With cinemas still closed and restrictions to travel out still in place, the team have been working hard to bring experiences inside the home.

Waterside Court were grateful recipients of donations from various members of the community. Included in the donations were some new puzzles, board games, feed for our residents’ bird feeders, arts and crafts materials, DVDs and a massive collections of books.

These donations will go towards our Life Enrichment programme within the home, which is in place to keep residents entertained, active and engaged. Waterside Court’s Activity Coordinator has already planned to use the large collection of books to create a library trolley for our residents, as many of them enjoy relaxing with a good book. As restrictions are still in place and travelling out to the local library is not yet possible, the library trolley is one way that the team can bring the library to residents!

Waterside Court has opened its doors, welcoming its first residents into the stunning new home.

The friendly team provides bespoke residential, dementia and respite care in beautiful surroundings, with delicious home-cooked meals prepared by talented chefs, a café for socialising and enjoying freshly baked treats and a choice of daily life-enrichment activities to add joy and laughter to each day.

General Manager, Roxana Moldovan, comments: “We are delighted our home is now open, our residents are at the heart of everything we do at Waterside Court, and we look forward to welcoming them and delivering best-in-sector personalised care.”

“We take pride in really getting to know each of our residents to provide tailored care and support, ensuring dignity and choice in every aspect of daily life.”

The well-being and safety of residents and staff are our greatest priorities.  That’s why Barchester’s homes have rigorous infection control measures, and award-winning health and safety, which includes regular coronavirus testing of both residents and staff. We’re making our homes as safe as possible and will ensure that all new residents and staff are vaccinated before moving in or working in our homes.

The team at Waterside Court were thrilled to have met with Val, who runs a support group for unpaid carers in the Wallingford area.

Val and Victoria (HSA) spent the morning having an in-depth discussion about how family members who care for a loved one may also need help and support themselves. Victoria commented: "It was a very open discussion that was based on both of our experiences of working with families when they are also taking on the carer role. There are a plethora of emotions, including sadness and guilt, which people don't often acknowledge or talk about. It's important for the likes of Waterside Court and Carer Support Groups to work together to see how we can increase the help available to unpaid carers in the local community.”

One initiative Val and Victoria discussed was Waterside Court’s aim to make Wallingford a Dementia Friendly Community. Waterside Court aim to launch a Memory Café in the summer (pending guidelines) that will be open to those in need of advice or an opportunity to socialise with others in similar positions. Val also provides help for those looking to organise Lasting Power of Attorneys (LPAs). For help with LPAs, please contact Val Wolsey on 01491 836 820.

If there is a way that Waterside Court can help support you as a family member, group, charity or organisation then please do get in touch with us. We are also on hand to support anyone you know to be vulnerable and lonely during this difficult time.

Waterside Court is a brand new and luxurious 70 bedded care home in Wallingford. As a new and purpose-built care home, we have a plethora of resources and equipment available to improve and enhance the lives of our residents.

One of these resources is a robotic animal, most typically a cat or a dog. These furry companions have realistic fur and pet-like sounds that are designed to bring comfort and companionship, particularly for those living with dementia. These robotic animals also have in-built sensors that respond to petting and movements, which adds to the interaction.

Whilst on a tour of the home with Victoria Nemar (Home Services Advisor), Eve Evans (Chair of Cholsey Day Centre) noticed the robotic dog in the Activity Café. Once Victoria explained the benefits behind robotic animals and how they are used in care homes, Eve purchased one for her mother, who lives with Dementia, as a Mother’s Day gift. Eve commented: “I am so glad I saw this dog. She has talked to her non-stop. Janet (the dog’s name) is her new friend. Mum even forgot about her brandy which is the most important part of her evening!”

Interaction and stimulation for people living with dementia is incredibly important to maintaining wellbeing. In addition to robotic animals, Waterside Court also has therapy dolls and a Magic Table.

Roxana Moldovan (General Manager) and Victoria Nemar (HSA) met with key contacts from local GP Surgery, Wallingford Medical Practice.

GP Practice Manager Deb Perry and Reception Manager Kim Wise were shown around our stunning new home. We had a lovely time showcasing our purpose-built care home and discussing how such an environment can benefit residents’ wellbeing and independence.

It was also fantastic to be able to discuss how Waterside Court and Wallingford Medical Practice can work together once the home opens to its first residents. Having a clear line of communication and good relationship with the local GP is pivotal to ensuring the health and wellbeing of residents is maintained to a high standard. Deb and Kim were eager to create as smooth a process as possible and the team enjoyed putting this in place. We can’t wait to open our doors to residents soon!