Celebrating life at Barchester

What a truly wonderful afternoon we had celebrating Diwali with our residents and staff! We had such a fantastic time learning all about the beautiful Festival of Lights. A special thank you to our staff members Hari and Simran who shared their knowledge, explained their traditions, and then treated us to an amazing spread of traditional Diwali foods and sweets.

The celebration continued with the delightful music played by the children on two beautiful instruments: the Rabab and the Tabla! Their performance filled our space with love and endearment, and they were wonderful, showing such confidence as they performed in front of so many people.

It's moments of cultural sharing and intergenerational connection like these that make our community so special. Residents shared their thoughts, saying "What an amazing afternoon filled with understanding and beautiful music," and "the children were so lovely bringing us their music and talent."

Elina House, General Manager, expressed, "We have a very diverse home filled with different cultures, religions, and countries, and we know how important it is to celebrate as many as we can in the home, sharing these precious moments with our residents and other staff, allowing them to showcase their traditions, food, and music." A huge thank you to everyone who took part and especially to the children who shared beautiful music and song.

Residents gathered together with the Deeper Life Bible Church Choir on a lovely Sunday afternoon. The choir brought joy to our home as they sang beautiful hymns accompanied by their own keyboard and instruments.

Their presence united the home and brought smiles to the residents' faces. The choir took the time to speak with our residents, expressing how much they appreciated the opportunity to visit and giving our residents a chance to connect with the members.

For many of our residents, attending church or participating in church activities is challenging due to their health and mobility. Recognising the importance of faith in their lives, we strive to bring spiritual support into our home.

In addition to the visit from Deeper Life bible Church, we also hold a monthly church service with local parishioners. This ensures that our residents can continue to practice their faith and feel connected to their spiritual community.

We had the privilege of Dr. Nikki Ramskill, the founder of ‘The Female Health Doctor’, delivered an insightful talk to provide valuable information. The event aimed to encourage open conversations, dispel myths, and educate attendees on how to manage symptoms and improve overall well-being during menopause.

This event was especially timely as October is Menopause Awareness Month, dedicated to raising awareness about the physical, emotional, and psychological changes that women experience during menopause. The event sought to promote understanding and support for women going through this important phase of life.

It was lovely to hear from those who attended their opportunity to clarify confusing and conflicting information they had encountered online regarding menopause symptoms. Dr. Nikki Ramskill's expertise provided much-needed answers, guidance, and advice, empowering attendees to seek professional or natural aids for managing menopause.

And of course it was only right that we had a creative and informative touch to the event, our talented Chef, Glenn Coombs, prepared a nutritious Menopause Cake showcasing the various symptoms associated with menopause in the fun way Glen does best. It was served with refreshments and was a hit with everyone!

Elina House, General Manager, stated " There is such value and importance of hosting this type of event to support the well-being of staff and hosting to similar events in the future. We are truly grateful for the support of Dr. Nikki Ramskill and highlighted the sense of support and understanding fostered for women experiencing menopause"

The atmosphere was electric as residents enjoyed a lively performance from Gav Lalala, which added a really festive backdrop to the afternoon celebrations. From the first bite to the last note of music, the smiles were abundant. The joyous celebration culminated in a heartfelt moment as the residents, “a glass in hand,” raised a toast to the day. An opportunity created for all to come together, enjoy great food and music, and raise their spirits in a joint celebration of global culture and companionship.   .

Tina, Activities Co-ordinator said, “It was a wonderful afternoon for both residents and staff, the great selection of food from around the world provided residents with a culinary experience that put a smile on all their faces. The afternoon was filled with amazing live music from the ‘Gav Lalala’, it was a great afternoon for all.”

General Manager Larisa Bledea said: “World Food Day was a huge success here at the home and it was lovely to see residents and staff enjoy great music and sample different foods from around the world, prepared by our wonderful chefs. The feedback from residents and staff was lovely, they enjoyed each other’s company and reminisced on trips abroad over the years where they recalled eating the local food. Cheers to a memorable World Food Day at Elm Bank!.”

A wave of nostalgia swept through Elm Bank as residents gathered for a delightful afternoon of biscuit making, transforming the communal dining room in to a room of pure joy.

The aprons were on with flour lightly dusted and the rolling pins in hand, the residents enthusiastically worked through every stage of the process, from kneading the soft dough, rolling it out and cutting out the intricate shapes. The residents of course enjoyed the best part: freshly baked, golden biscuits with a cup of tea. The pride on the resident’s faces as they sampled their own creations was wonderful.

Tina, Activities Co-ordinator said, “It was a wonderful simple activity that offered far more than just a tasty treat at the end. For our residents that live with dementia these hands on activities are incredibly beneficial for our residents, especially those that re living with dementia, as they provide essential sensory stimulation. Activities likes these ensure that every day is filled with meaningful and enjoyable experiences.”

General Manager Larisa Bledea said: “We really like to ensure that we offer a whole host of activities within our beautiful home, and that residents get to enjoy all life’s simple pleasures, it is not always about lavish activities it is about what the activity means to our residents and the benefit it creates. Everyone certainly enjoyed eating the creations at the end.”
 

The residents and staff, recently wrapped its residents and staff in a comforting embrace of support and cheer to mark World Mental Health Day, demonstrating a profound commitment to the emotional well-being of everyone in its care. The day was centred on the simple yet powerful gesture of yellow, a colour universally associated with hope, joy, and optimism.

The homes dedicated chef’s baked dozens of vibrant yellow cupcakes, which were lovingly decorated and the homes well-being champions provided many sweet treats for staff to enjoy. The cakes and sweets treat, served as a reminder of the day’s vital message: that talking about mental health is essential, and no one should be alone feel alone.   .

Tina, Activities Co-ordinator said, “It was a wonderful day for both residents and staff, the yellow cupcakes and sweet treats put a smile on all. The afternoon was filled with wonderful live music from the ‘Two of Diamonds’, it was a great day for all.”

General Manager Larisa Bledea said: “Mental health is just as important as physical health for all our residents and staff, and in a care setting, fostering a culture of open support is priority.”
 

We are so delighted to receive such glowing feedback from our residents and their families.

We love what we do here and our team our 100% the best!!!
 

Last week some of our lovely ladies enjoyed a wonderful shopping trip to the Old Market in Hereford. The group had a fantastic time browsing through a variety of shops, looking at clothes, accessories, and even some early Christmas decorations — and it’s only October! The festive displays brought plenty of smiles and laughter as everyone began to feel that hint of holiday spirit.

After a bit of retail therapy, the ladies stopped at a local café for a well-deserved cup of tea and a slice of delicious cake. It was the perfect way to relax and chat about their favourite finds of the day.

One of the ladies said “It was such a lovely day out. I really enjoyed seeing all the decorations and having a nice piece of cake with the girls — it felt wonderful to be out and about!”

At Ross Court, we love creating days full of fun, friendship, and memories.

Professionals from various organisations within the community had the opportunity to meet and network over lunch, provided by the home.

The home was delighted to welcome guest speaker and chair of the Thirsk Yarn Bombers, Irene who spoke to the visiting professionals about the work taking place in and around Thirsk by the group. 
It was wonderful to also welcome representatives from Dementia Forward, North Yorkshire Police and Rainbow Dementia Day Care amongst others