Celebrating life at Barchester

We had some very soft and special visitors recently - two wonderful alpacas, Caramac and Liquorice.

Our residents, family and friends enjoyed meeting them as they visited every area of the home, including residents' rooms, making sure that everyone had the opportunity to spend time with them.

Alpacas are gentle, calm and curious animals, with incredibly soft fleece, which makes them wonderful, comforting companions. We were as curious as they were, so their visit caused a lot of conversation, petting, and fun!

A small creative group of our residents explored the work of Somerset sculptor Ian Marlow, taking inspiration from the natural world around us. 

Joy created a beautiful flower-shaped trinket dish, Pat and Greta made pressed flower hanging decorations, and Jo crafted a lovely butterfly decoration featuring pressed lavender. 

It was a lovely, relaxing and enjoyable session celebrating creativity and nature, and it was fun to try model making, with some great results.

At the heart of our Memory Lane community is getting to know the person behind the diagnosis, and Niamh, our Activities Coordinator, always makes time to get to know our residents.

She recently spent some lovely one-to-one time with Susannah, a former geologist and editor for a renowned educational publishing house. Susannah shared fascinating stories from her career and gave Niamh a masterclass in creating eye-catching magazine layouts and engaging copy. Niamh also encouraged our new resident Mike to give us a beautiful piano performance. Completely self-taught, Mike plays entirely from memory, without sheet music.

These personalised moments help us celebrate each resident's unique life story, supporting wellbeing, memory, and meaningful connections.

Our residents enjoyed some target-based games in our beautiful garden recently with plenty of laughing, cheering and friendly competition. It's always lovely to see everyone having fun together and encouraging each other.

We're fortunate at Crandon Springs Care Home to have such a spacious and accessible garden with comfortable seating and shaded areas, making it the perfect place to enjoy fresh air, gentle exercise and time together.

Requested by our residents, our poetry afternoon offered a chance to share favourite poems, discover new verses and enjoy meaningful conversations together. A wonderful activity that encourages reminiscence, creativity and connection

Residents at Elderwood House enjoyed a wonderful seaside-themed celebration, bringing the fun and nostalgia of the British coast right to our home. With traditional fish and chips, seaside games, music and plenty of laughter, the day was filled with smiles, happy memories and opportunities to spend quality time together. Creating meaningful experiences like these is just one of the many ways we support wellbeing and make every day enjoyable at Elderwood House.

The methods and mediums may change but the heart of live music - the communal joy, the shared emotions, the collective energy - remains untouched. As we look to the future, one thing is clear: live music will continue to be a cherished experience at Ashfields Care Home, even as its form and format evolve.

Our Residents enjoy a Flute concerto in the homes courtyard where the acoustics resonate. The weather was fantastic so they also enjoyed  refreshments and an ice lolly or cornetto.

At Ashfields that's what we like to do - create memories, and ensure our residents are leading full enriched lives.