Activities at Ashcombe House Care Home
Activities are an integral part of life at our care home. We want to ensure that the people we support have as much fun as possible during their time with us, so it’s important that our activities programme is created with the interests of residents in mind. Our skilled Activities Coordinators bring a certain uniqueness to the home that can’t be found anywhere else, and which is reflected in the activities they organise.
Michelle Martin
I’m a fun, loud and outgoing individual who loves organising fun activities for residents at Ashcombe House (and staff, if possible). I’m very creative and keep the residents very active, both mentally and physically In my spare time, I love doing a lot of fundraising, which usually ends up with me sliding in mud.
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 Ashcombe House Care Home
Wishes do come true
Resident Sally has always loved animals and alpacas are one of her favourites. A special wish trip was arranged with the local Alpaca farm Pennybridge Alpacas who assisted us to make Sally’s wishes come true. On the day Sally was just told she was out for the morning on a trip with no idea where she was going. Sallys face lit up as we pulled into the farm car park and she saw the baby Alpacas.
We were able to meet and greet the babies before seeing the mother alpacas being fed, Sally chucked as the females charged over the field and ate their breakfast it was a very funny sight. Sally met, brushed and fed the baby Alpacas and learnt more about them before having a much needed cuddle. The day was perfect and sally said it really did make her day, week and even her year!
Birds for a birthday
Celebrations at the home for a very special ladies 102nd birthday . Lilian enjoyed staff and residents celebrating her special day with her and chef Tracey made a beautiful birthday cake. Children from the local primary school made a huge card to celebrate the milestone and sent lots of birthday wishes. Celebrations continued into the afternoon with a visit from Wings of freedom, a bird of prey rescue society. Lilian held Kevin the Kestrel something she said she never thought would happen on her birthday let alone at 102 years old
Off to College
Resident Peggy was very excited to become a student again as she joined a local college. We have been working with Queen Marys College for an intergenerational project involving students on a social care course. The students were given a presentation by our activities coordinator Michelle in delivering a weekly program of activities for the residents, what elements to think about and what the activity will provide for a resident. The students had a week to plan their projects, Michelle and resident Peggy returned to the college and the students presented their ideas, Peggy loved some of the ideas and was talking the students through what benefits she thinks their ideas would have at the home. Peggy said she would like to invite some of the students to the home to perform their activity as some sounded like good fun and very different. We are looking forward to progressing further with this project and having regular contact with the students.
The next Picasso?
Do we have the next Picasso here at Ashcombe house? We have been enjoying watercolour painting, getting creative. Some like to freehand art and others like to have a drawing to paint. We have all found this very relaxing and therapeutic and good for hand dexterity.
Move it
A new seated exercise class has started at the home on Thursday afternoons. The class is designed for all and is just as much about having fun as it is exercising. The exercises are done to some upbeat music which we do like to sing along to, we have used props such as Pom-poms, scarves and balls to keep the class different every week. Its fast becoming popular amongst residents and staff!
Flipping celebrations
We celebrated Pancake Day in style making the annual celebration fully inclusive to all, with the creation of a mobile pancake station, designed to go about the home's lounge and the residents’ rooms.
Staff went around the care home doing a live pancake making and flipping before offering a choice of toppings, which included chocolate spread, golden syrup and the all-time favourite choice of lemon and sugar. Residents were delighted to have their pancakes made in their rooms and even visitors enjoyed the celebration.
The day brought back memories to the residents of their childhood days, as they relished the pancakes.
