Activities at Westergate House Care Home
Our teams are trained to enrich the lives of residents through stimulating the mind, body and soul, and taking the time to learn about each person to ensure everyone receives support that adds enrichment to their life.
Our activities team are great at building the activities programme around the likes and interests of the people we care for. Ensuring that our social events offer fun and adventure is part of the ethos of our home; it’s important that those we support can enjoy an active and social lifestyle. Of course, there will always be those who prefer peace and quiet, and in these instances, a cup of tea and a chat are always welcomed.
Lee Austin
My name is Lee and I am the Head of Lifestyle here at Westergate House.
I support our residents daily to do the things they enjoy and it is extremely important to me that we are offering a premium and person centred service to each resident. I support our residents on a daily basis by providing meaningful and quality activities either in groups or on a 1:1 basis, to help encourage and build confidence while creating an enjoyable environment for everyone. Westergate House is the home of our residents, we as staff are working in it, so it is extremely important to me that we are respectful of that, while offering a premium and person centred service to each and every resident.
I am a trained actor and professional vocalist and not shy in making a fool of myself. If I do that every day to put a smile on our residents faces then I’m happy I have played my part, along with the rest of the amazing team, to brightening their day. If you hear someone singing along the corridor or see them dancing in the lounges, it will probably be me.
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 Westergate House Care Home
Weave workshops
At Westergate House we are thrilled to exhibit the culmination of a wonderful art project that has taken place over the last few months. As part of our activities programme, Care Assistant Rose, who is currently completing a year in industry towards her degree studies in Textile Design at the University of the Arts London, has delivered weave workshops across all three communities in the home.
Rose has spent time with residents demonstrating how to set up the miniature looms, selecting choices of thread, and creating textured fabrics that are wonderful examples of textile art.
Everyone is delighted with their achievements! The individual pieces have been framed and assembled together to create a super collaboration of creative talent, currently on display in the Memory Lane community. Please have a look when you next visit; an absolute treat!
Dementia Awareness Week
Here at Westergate House, we have been celebrating Dementia Action Week, 19–25 May, and have been raising awareness of the early signs and symptoms of dementia.
During the week, we were privileged to host a talk by Sage House Dementia Hub, a bespoke hub in our local community, bringing together local Dementia Support services under one roof. The talk was immensely popular, extremely educational, and well-attended by both family members and visitors from the local community. We had a full house!
We also held a Dementia Disco Afternoon, where our Head of Lifestyles, Lee, took on the persona of ‘DJ Dave’ (a natural transition!), taking our residents on a nostalgic journey down memory lane with music from all eras. There were plenty of props and wigs to go around, and the event was enjoyed by our residents, the staff team and visitors to the home. A lovely excuse for a party!
Alpacas visit
Fridays are always fabulous at Westergate House. We love to welcome visitors to the home, and this week was no exception! To the delight of residents, four-legged friends in the form of alpacas strolled through the home with an air of confidence and inquisition.
We marvelled at their friendliness, and, based on their excellent behaviour, wholly agreed that they are welcome at Westergate anytime.
Bus outing!
We are so well-positioned here at Westergate House and fortunate to have the South Downs on one side and the seaside on the other, both within a ten-minute drive from the home.
There are so many picturesque spots to visit, and on this occasion, we ventured to the coast for a wander along the promenade. The fresh air and sunshine were wonderful, and after our walk, we decided a stop at the local kiosk for refreshments was well-deserved. Tea and cake were enjoyed by all, with plenty of stories about trips to the seaside over the decades.
Easter weekend at Westergate!
The Easter weekend at Westergate House was a fabulous festive time with fun for all. Our Easter Bunny Hunt was well-attended by children and adults alike!
Ten bunnies were hidden around our grounds and everyone was intent on following the cryptic clues to reveal their hiding places.
Chocolate eggs were given to everyone who took part. A fabulous way to celebrate Easter with family and friends.
Monthly museum trips
At Westergate House, we are thrilled to be making monthly visits to the Matt Black Barn project in Fishbourne.
A fabulous studio set up by eminent sculptors Andrew Sabin and Laura Ford, where there is the opportunity for regular art and craft sessions, exploring different mediums to create inspired sculptures. In our first session, we used a clay base and natural elements from the seaside and woodland to create beautiful plaques showing a collage of natural textures.
We were also invited to tour the studio and exhibition gallery; a fabulous resource for our local community. Looking forward to our next visit!
