Activities at Westergate House Care Home

Meaningful occupation and engagement is a priority for our residents living with dementia at Westergate House.  Our magic table, seen here in the picture, is a popular choice with residents who live on our Memory Lane Community.  The table promotes physical activity, feelings of well-being and helps to develop relationships of trust and friendship between the residents and the care staff.  Residents are able to take part in a variety of different games where natural movements and the smallest of gestures are encouraged through touching the moving images.  A range of sounds, colours and effects accompany the visual displays.  It is an absolute treat to behold.

The picture shows  a resident to enjoying a game,  touching autumn leaves where ladybirds are revealed and then appear to fly away.  Some residents choose to sit and take part in the activity for a stretch of time.  Others simply like to stroll past, see what is going on and touch the images that appeal.  The delightful pastime creates a sensory experience which engages, calms and stimulates.  It is extremely popular with our residents and our staff.  A chance for relaxation and interaction for all

Monday 7th February was a touching day at Westergate House.  We celebrated the National Send a Card to a Friend Day.  It couldn’t have been nicer.  Flakes of snow were drifting past the window and it made us reflect on winters past and the fun we have had with special people in our lives.  We picked up our pens and chose a friend to write to.  The picture here shows two of our residents taking part.  It was lovely thinking of a few short lines to share with someone close and soon we were chatting about all sorts of fun memories. 

The cards were written and then Kay, our Activities Co-ordinator, gathered them up.  We all know it is such a thrill to receive a letter from someone who is often in our thoughts and yet we haven’t seen in a while.

Westergate House was proud to take part in the Hearts for Schools campaign at the end of 2020. After a year of limited visiting due to COVID-19 and restrictions in place, our residents were delighted to send and receive deliveries of handmade Christmas cards with the children at Eastergate Primary School.  The residents at Westergate House sent ‘hearts for schools’ to the children and the gesture was reciprocated with a sackful of Christmas card creations from the children.

What an eye-catching array of colour!  There were beautiful paintings of festive artwork: Santa, snowmen, reindeer and all things Christmassy. The children had produced wonderful designs and had included Christmas messages and greetings to the residents. Our Activities Coordinator, Kay Vevers, arranged the cards on a table and read the messages with the residents over a cup of tea.

The connection with the school, and our local community, is greatly valued. It is a vital part of the residents’ well-being.  They love hearing about the local children, and it was a delight to hear about their preparations for Christmas. A super way to spread the spirit of Christmas. 

It was a heart-warming day at Westergate House when everyone celebrated National Homemade Soup Day Thursday 4th February.  Head Chef Eric made a stir in the kitchen with fresh, seasonal ingredients.  A range of wholesome soups were made to keep out the winter chill.  The picture here shows Eric warming a pan of carrot and coriander.  As we know, soup is well-known for bringing people together, for keeping out the cold and for its range of health benefits.  Our residents love the variety of soups that Eric puts on the menus.  Whether selected as a light starter to a main meal or a nutritious supper at the end of the day, soup at Westergate House is always freshly prepared and whole-heartedly welcomed.

Friday 4th December was a fun and eye-catching day at Westergate House. Staff swapped their uniforms for a rainbow of colourful costumes on National Elf Day to help raise funds for people living with dementia.

National Elf Day was launched by the Alzheimer’s Society and is regarded as an entertaining day in the run up to Christmas. It was created to sprinkle some festive cheer on fundraising towards finding a cure for dementia, and encourages participation through the donning of stripy socks and head-to-toe elf outfits. There really are no rules! Anything goes – there’s snow better way to raise money to help beat dementia.

During our Elf Day, staff and residents were able to enjoy elf-themed games, special treats and a raffle of super prizes. Photographs were taken and merriment ensued.  Behind every corner there was a naughty elf!

The residents were amused by the antics; they felt it was a very festive day and laughed at the range of costumes. It was wholeheartedly agreed that Elf Day was a wonderful way to raise awareness for the charity.

Elf Day is always a lot of fun and we are home to some of the most unusual elves ever! We know first-hand that many people, including a good number of our residents, are living with some form of Alzheimer’s. That’s why raising money to support dementia charities is dear to our hearts and we’re always so keen to get involved. We’re proud that the money we’ve raised will go towards such a good cause.

It was competition time on Wednesday. Our residents and staff were invited to pitch their skills against others at local Barchester homes and decorate Christmas cakes with a festive theme. Our Head Chef’s entry was a wonderful watercolour of Westergate House, which celebrates its 200th anniversary this year. Eric then helped to bake the cakes with our residents and we produced our second entry.

This cake was decorated by the residents, who combined their creative skills, resulting in a beautifully crafted design. Dennis started the project by painting a fabulous watercolour Christmas tree, which was then given a red backdrop and laminated so it could be positioned on top of the cake. Everyone then discussed how the cake should look. Different ideas were tried out until each member of the decorating team was happy with the final plan. The finishing touches included reindeer and snowmen together with a satin red bow to bring the design together. We all sat back and admired the end result with a well-deserved cup of tea!