Activities at Brampton View Care Home

Over the past 2 days we have been busy in the home, some of our residents took part in our Big Quiz challenging their general knowledge and competing against our sister homes. We then had our beautiful Bertie bag to bring soma love and happiness to our residents in their individual rooms. 

On our Memory Lane community we know that challenging activities are stimulating and bring focus, our lovely residents took part in some games on the big iPad pairing the items, challenge on the bead maze activity provide a blend of physical movement and cognitive engagement, using fine motor skills, hand to eye coordination along with stimulation without stress of failure as there is no right or wrong way. All the games encourage social interaction as two people can play and move the beads.

What a joy it was to have the lovely nursery school children back to the home for a fantastic visit, with bingo games with lots of winning numbers, story reading , magic painting and of course the sweet voices singing songs.

Our residents are so grateful for the visits which brings such joy into the home from the moment those little feet cross the threshold until they departed with a sing song chorus of goodbyes as they left the home.
 

We know that intergenerational activity is hugely beneficial to all involved as it encourages communication and social skills. Intergenerational contact also helps to develop language and reading confidence through shared activities, as well as increasing confidence and self-esteem. Lastly it helps children to develop empathy, care and kindness, helping them to understand and talk more positively about ageing and older people.

Step Up to the Brampton View “Carenival”! 

At Brampton View, we don’t just care for our wonderful residents and their families—we care deeply about our incredible STAFF too! 
We want to hear what they have to say about their experience working with us and the wider Barchester Healthcare family. That’s why we’ve launched the “Your Voice” Survey, and to make it extra special, we’ve set up our very own Carenival Station (yes, with an extra ‘e’ for the extra care we give!) in the home.

Have Your Say: Your feedback helps us make Brampton View an even better place to work.
Scan to Win: Complete the main survey via the QR code at the station.
BIG BONUS: Don’t forget the extra bonus survey—you could win a massive £1000! 

A Sweet Treat Awaits! Our incredibly talented Chef, Glen Coombs, has outdone himself again by creating a truly fabulous Carnival Cake! It’s on display right now in the reception area. Come and take a look!! And grab a coffee and cake while you scan and share your thoughts. To all our staff "Your voice" matters. Let’s make it heard! 

Our lovely nurse Mande and her beautiful girls came into the home to bring everyone a hand delivered Christmas treat. 

What a beautiful thing our lovely Mande did, taking the time to individually pack each little Christmas box with treats and go throughout the home, where the girls handed them out. 

There was lots of love throughout the home and thanks of surprise. Huge warm hugs to Mande and her girls for there kindness shown to everyone at Brampton View. 

Residents, families, and members of the local community gathered yesterday for a crucial information session dedicated to future planning and legal protection.

Speaker Lee Skilton, from Dorset and Wight provided vital guidance through the often-complex world of estate planning. The session was praised by guests for its informal and delivery, making daunting legal topics easy to understand.

Throughout the morning, Lee addressed a wide range of essential topics, answering a flurry of questions from the engaged audience. Key discussions included Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA), where Lee dived into both medical and financial LPAs, including guidance on how to choose the right person to act on your behalf. 
Will Management the importance of writing, regularly reviewing, and safely storing Wills. Lee also talked about the risks of firms closures and gave practical advice on what happens if a solicitor holding your documents closes down and how to mitigate those risks.

Elina House General Manager said "The session was very informative and there was an abundance of information and knowledge share from Lee without any obligation and removed the apprehension of addressing concerns, Lee was professional but kept the chat light, fun and informative, thank you Lee and Dorset and Wight for providing this free session".
 

Residents, staff and visitors were filled with the stirring sounds of the bagpipes as they welcomed Piper Gary from the RAF Waddington Pipe & Drum Band. Gary, who has been playing the bagpipes since the age of 7, brought with him a truly incredible piece of history: his great-grandfather’s Robertson’s pipes. Crafted in 1928 sporting silver hand-engraving and ivory, these pipes have been passed down through generations and sounded absolutely beautiful.

The morning was filled with Scottish tradition as Gary led by the homes talented home chef, John, whom carried the haggis into the lounge before Gary recited the Robert Burns’ famous poem, "Address to a Haggis."

Gary’s then went on to perform 'Amazing Grace' and the 'Skye Boat Song'  One of our resident David Fair, requested 'Flower of Scotland'; the melody sparked such pride and emotion for him as he hasn’t been able to visit Scotland in some time.

Gary also gave a fascinating talk on how the bagpipes work, the chanter, reed and the bag itself and even showed us his sgian-dubh, explaining why pipers traditionally carried this hidden blade into battle.
The celebrations continued with a traditional toast with a dram of Whisky to the traditional toast of Slàinte mhath!. There was also a delicious tasting session afterwards of haggis, neeps, and tatties with homemade rich whisky cream sauce, Cranachan and shortbread.

A heartfelt thank you to resident Pat Knight’s daughter Pat, who made authentic Scottish tablet for everyone to enjoy. Pat Knight, once a highland dancer herself, posed for photos with Gary and the home’s General Manager, Elina House.

General Manager Eline House Noted “It was a jubilant, memory-filled event that brought a true taste of Scotland to our home”, all our residents have been talking about how much they enjoyed the event and many trying haggis for the very first time, some loving whilst other unsure, we cant wait to have Gary back in November for St Andrews Day”. 

We are still buzzing from the incredible visit we had from The Cube Disability Performance Group last week! 

The talent, energy, and pure joy they brought into our home was absolutely infectious. Our residents and staff were completely captivated by the musical performance! It was wonderful to see everyone singing along and getting to know the performers after the performance.

Our General Manager, Elina House, would like to send a massive thank you to the whole group "A huge thank you to The Cube Disability Performance Group for joining us. You were a massive hit and brought so much happiness to our residents and team. We can't wait to welcome you back to Brampton View!" 

Events like these remind us how powerful music and community connection can be. Thank you for making it a day to remember!

Residents enjoyed a Christmas to remember this week, as the home pulled out all the stops with a multi-day celebration featuring festive treats, a visit from the North Pole, and high-energy live entertainment.

The festivities began on Christmas Eve with a "Cheers to Christmas" trolley service. Deputy Manager Cristina led the way, visiting every room in the home with a specially decorated drinks trolley. Residents were invited to choose their favourite festive tipple, from sherry to sparkling fizz, as they toasted to the holiday season and shared stories of Christmases past.

The excitement reached its peak on Christmas morning when the home welcomed two very special VIPs. Santa Claus, accompanied by his cheerful Elf, made a grand tour of the home, delivering hand-wrapped gifts to every resident. The surprise visit brought smiles and laughter to the hallways, ensuring that the magic of Christmas was felt by all.

To cap off the celebrations, the home hosted a live performance by the popular musical duo 2 of Diamonds, Rob and Sally. The entertainers provided a high-energy set of festive classics and timeless hits, which saw residents, staff, and visiting family members singing along and dancing in the lounge.

Cristina, Deputy Manager at Brampton View, said "Christmas is such a sentimental time for our residents, and we wanted to make sure every moment felt personal and joyous. From the quiet moment of a Christmas Eve toast to the high energy of the 2 of Diamonds performance, seeing the residents’ faces light up is what makes our jobs so rewarding. It truly felt like one big family celebration."

Staff got into the Christmas spirit by wearing their Christmas Jumper to start of the celebrations in the home.

Did you know the history of Christmas Jumper Day? It is celebrated on the 11th December every year. Organised by Save the Children UK this became a festive tradition to encourage people to wear their quirkiest Christmas jumpers to spread cheer. Save the children raise funds for charitable causes and this is one way they promote the "fun" in fundraising!

The event has been celebrated since 2012, and it’s a fun way to contribute to a good cause while enjoying the holiday spirit. If you would like to donate please click on the link: https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/.../how-to-pay-in-your...

Chocolate Cake Day was celebrated in the home with the a children of Kingsthorpe Grove nursery visit, with a treat of cake and chocolate biscuits.

Our lovely activities assistant Julie visited all the rooms throughout the home with the trolley of cake and conversation, staff were also treated to chocolate cake and chocolate biscuits.

Later in the afternoon our memory lane community made chocolate crispy cakes getting involved in messy fun.

Our reception area was transformed into a nostalgic wonderland today as we welcomed the lovely Rebecca from Sweet Memories of Hadleigh!

The home was filled with the wonderful scent of old-fashioned sweets as Rebecca set up her traditional stall. It was a true blast from the past, with favourites sold by the quarter and weighed out on classic scales.

General Manager Elina House said "from pear drops to midget gems, the selection was incredible! All our residents, visitors, and staff stopped by to browse, and the smiles and delight on everyone’s faces truly said it all".

There is nothing quite like a familiar treat to spark a happy memory and a great conversation. A huge thank you to Rebecca for bringing such a sweet touch of nostalgia to our day. We can’t wait to have you back!

We are thrilled to announce that the winner of the December Employee of the Month award is Seby, a valued member of our care & support team here at the home.

Elina House, our General Manager, expressed “Seby was nominated for his kindness, team work, helpfulness, and “I can do” attitude. And who works tirelessly through commitment to maintaining the highest standards in delivering great support to all our residents”

Seby has a very positive attitude with his compassionate nature this has made a significant impact on the daily lives and social interactions of our residents. 

Congratulations and thank you, Seby, for your outstanding contribution from all the residents and staff here at Brampton View Care Home.

Thank you all so much for coming to our Christmas Fayre, it's safe to say everyone had a wonderful time! 

A special thank you to Leyla Holly for her beautiful Christmas songs which she sang to residents around the home, spreading the joy of Christmas! And to our wonderful stall holders for sharing their gorgeous creations! The afternoon really did bring joy to our home!

Our residents and staff were delighted with their purchases and hope to have all the stall holders back in the home for the Summer fete