Activities at West Abbey Care Home
Our Activities Coordinators are constantly striving to mentally and physically stimulate those we support by organising group and individual activities for anyone and everyone to participate in. There are regular outings in the minibus to nearby places of interest, as well as visits from the Donkey sanctuary, musicians and entertainers. We also host evenings such as our Cheese & Wine evenings and BBQ's in the summer, that we encourage relatives to come to. Activities are one of the most important aspects of a care home, so it is essential that our team are dedicated to ensuring that residents are entertained. We encourage our residents to participate in any way they can. We also encourage relatives to join with activities and events as often as they can to ensure that life at West Abbey is fun and active for all.
Ryan Palmer
Hello, I'm Ryan and I joined West Abbey in 2018 in Hotel Services team where I was nominated 2 years running in the Barchester Care Awards by residents and their families. I moved to Activities in June 2021 which suits my outgoing personality. I know our residents well and love seeing their enjoyment of the entertainment we provide plus going out into the community on our mini bus, I have lived in Yeovil all my life so know all the best places to visit. The team call me the 'IT hero' as I'm always able to resolve the connection issues with our virtual events and our computer / tablets!
Read our brochure 'Life-enriching activities' for more information about life in our care homes.
Read our brochure
Activities and Events Partnerships
As part of our bespoke life-enrichment programmes, we host a number of live virtual events in the home on a regular basis through a number of partnerships with places of interest and world class performance companies
Life at West Abbey Care Home
100th Birthday Celebrations
Celebrations have been in full swing at West Abbey, as one of our residents reached her centenary in style.
Flora was joined by staff and other residents as she received a telegram from the Queen in recognition of her landmark birthday. A champagne reception was held at the home and guests enjoyed a special birthday cake made by the home’s chef Louis Buys.
Flora has only been in West Abbey for a few months, where she is enjoying a new chapter of her life. She has already made an impression on all those around her with her kindness and great sense of humour.
Among those relatives attending using the new visiting suite in place at West Abbey was Flora’s daughter, Lynne, who played host for the afternoon to lots of guests. Speaking about her centenarian mother’s day, she said: “Last week was Mum's 100th birthday and everyone at West Abbey made it very special for her. The chef made her a beautiful cake, she had huge balloons and a great day. I can't thank everyone at West Abbey enough and definitely feel we have found the best place for her to stay”
We’re delighted to be celebrating a truly remarkable woman as she reaches this amazing milestone. Flora is such a popular resident who always has an interesting tale to tell, and we look forward to hearing many more as she breaks into her next century.
Days of Kindness
Residents and staff at West Abbey have recently begun what they are calling the 24 Days of Kindness. The aim of this is to deliver a present and card to individuals or organisations in the local community who have worked so hard over the past year and have made a real difference in the community.
The campaign of kindness has already been running a week with special deliveries, including Day Lewis Pharmacy in Abbey Manor Park, Yeovil Fire Services and Beechwood Care Home to name a few.
With many more deliveries to make around the local community, West Abbey are so excited to bring some festive cheer to the local community.
Remembrance Day
West Abbey commemorated Remembrance Day on both Sunday 8th November and Wednesday 11th November. They joined the rest of the United Kingdom in holding a two-minute silence at 11am.
As well as marking Remembrance Day by wearing poppies and watching the televised service from The Cenotaph, residents took part in therapeutic activities, including working with staff to create a number of displays around the home, which were the focal points of the home's commemoration. Residents also spent the day listening to old wartime songs and reading famous war poems.
Residents also had communication with local school Preston Primary School who wrote cards to the residents which all of the residents loved reading through, and are looking forward to being able to write back.
Designated Visiting Suite
Residents are overjoyed at West Abbey Care Centre in Yeovil, as Barchester Healthcare has implemented a visiting suite for residents to continue to spend time with their loved ones for the autumn and winter seasons in addition to the outdoor visiting that has been on offer for those able for many months.
There has been much careful planning and preparation for this moment. It was welcome news for their residents and family and friends as we enter the colder season meaning catch-ups can continue to take place, instead of, or in addition to, outdoor visiting already offered for those able.
The visiting suite has been designed with both comfort and safety in mind, and has been recently adapted from a room which is accessible internally by residents and externally by visitors. The room is similar to a living room with comfortable furnishings and heated to create a welcoming and warm environment for residents to continue to spend time with their loved ones in the upcoming months.
The room has an intercom system fitted so residents can clearly communicate, and engage in conversation, whilst being able to see their friends and family through a Perspex glass divider fitted for safety to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Talk Like a Pirate Day
For 'Talk Like a Pirate Day', we went on a treasure hunt throughout the home dressed up as pirates and told pirate jokes for a day. It certainly was an interesting way to spend the day!
Christmas Baking
Residents at West Abbey have enjoyed our engaging activities programmes, including baking Christmas cakes. The end result wad delicious!
