Activities at Balclutha Court Care Home

We had a lovely time joining the team from Hereford Cathedral for an exciting virtual session.

We enjoyed a glimpse of this spectacular building and its treasures in a series of short pre-recorded videos. From the stunning gardens which lead down to the River Wye, to the Mappa Mundi and Chained Library.

It was wonderful to learn more about the history and beauty of Hereford Cathedral.

Staff and residents at Barchester’s Balclutha Court were treated to an exciting live streaming tour of Knowsley Safari, hosted by Engagement Assistant, Verity Dann.

Knowsley Safari has been welcoming visitors for 50 years since it opened in July 1971.  Situated in the Knowsley area of Merseyside, the safari park is home to 750 animals on a 550 acre site, it boasts the longest safari drive in the UK.

Here at Balclutha Court in Greenock, we understand the importance of remaining active and as you can see we take it very seriously!  To acknowledge National Senior Health and Fitness Day, we focused on some gentle physical activities, which included seated yoga, armchair exercises and walking.

We also did some really amusing things and laughed a lot!  Some of our residents preferred to join the group sessions, organised by the team, others focused on their individual movement activities. We took the time to learn more about the benefits of physical activity and how it can improve anxiety and overall well-being.

We would also like to thank Morton in the Community for the equipment, we are getting plenty of use out of it.  

Here at Balclutha in Greenock we were delighted to spend time creating a beautiful floral masterpiece to enter the #BloomingBarchester competition in partnership with Blooming Haus following their amazing virtual flower arranging masterclass. 

We all had a wonderful time decorating and working on our arrangement and we are happy to say we were impressed with our skills in applying all the tips and ideas learnt during the class to make a colourful floral design.

There were smiles all round at Balclutha Court care home in Greenock as live entertainers were allowed to perform in the garden once again. The ‘Not Forgotten Society’ performed a spring time special concert featuring, Multi – Instrumentalist duo Andante, Vocalist and entertainer Lloyd Ellery and Annie Riley for staff and residents who really enjoyed the show.

Just like the rest of the country, Government guidelines for care homes are starting to relax and performers can now entertain residents again safely in outdoor spaces.

Julie Wilson, Deputy Manager at Balclutha Court commented: “It is great to be able to open up our gardens again and have some live entertainment for our residents.  We have really missed being able to welcome performers into our home during lockdown, although we’ve had lots of virtual concerts, quizzes and talks.  It’s lovely to be able to host events in the garden again now that lockdown is easing and the weather is getting warmer.”

Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event, which attempts to encourage an open dialogue about mental health.

During the week, staff members and residents at Balclutha Court enjoyed a number of interactive sessions, including virtual armchair exercises with the Green Goddess, provided through Shackleton's Furniture Company and many got involved in conversations about mindfulness and the importance of mental health.

The home showed support of Mental Health Awareness Week by spreading positivity and spending time finding an emotional release through water colour painting which allows a person's mind to relax and let go of all the problems that contribute to a high stress level. When people create something beautiful through painting, they stimulate the creative mind while relieving mental strain. Obviously its fun too and here at Balclutha we have some awesome artists, just take a look.....