Activities at Cossins House Care Home

A full and fun-packed day getting out on the bus! Some of our residents requested a trip to Costa for a cuppa and a spot of shopping, while others fancied a visit to West End Pond to feed the ducks and enjoy an ice cream.

Much to everyone’s delight, we decided to do both! It was the perfect way to make the most of the beautiful sunny weather. There were plenty of smiles, lovely conversations, and happy memories made throughout the day. Enjoying a delicious ice cream and watching the ducklings on a sunny afternoon lifted our spirits and reminded us of our past years. We love to get out in our community and continue to do all the lovely things we always did.        

Our dear Robert goes out of his way every day to prepare a poem for each dinner table from his book Patience Strong. He has also started his own poetry club at Cossins House Care Home, inspiring others through his love of poetry and creativity. 

His thoughtful contributions give our residents something to talk about over lunch, encourage meaningful conversations, and bring people together. Robert’s dedication, kindness, and enthusiasm have made a positive difference to life at Cossins House, and he is greatly appreciated by residents and staff alike.       

The Fire Service visited our residents to provide fire safety awareness and practical advice. It was a pleasure to ask questions, look around the fire engine, and gain a better understanding of the life of a firefighter. We also discussed safety procedures and what to do in an emergency. 

It was a great pleasure for our residents to have a good understanding and learn the role of a firefighter. It was a delight to look at all the equipment and share our own thoughts on safety within our home.       

The afternoon sun spilled gently over our garden, warming the roses and filling the air with their sweet scent. Residents settled in, hands resting in warm towels before receiving gentle massages that eased away the day’s tension. Laughter drifted through the air as friends compared colours, shared stories, and admired each other’s freshly painted nails.

Birdsong provided the soundtrack, and the garden itself seemed to join in the pampering . By the end of the afternoon, it wasn’t just nails that were brighter, but smiles too.

In that moment, surrounded by beauty and companionship, everyone felt a little lighter, a little more cared for, and very much at home.           

Our residents had a wonderful afternoon meeting new friends from Epsom Beaumont Care Home. It was a great opportunity to get to know one another, share some laughs, and enjoy delicious ice cream and a relaxing cup of tea. We wanted to connect with our neighbouring homes and meet new people, so we organised a get-together.

Here’s to new friendships and happy memories.

Our focus this month was on nutrition and fine dining, and our super chef took everyone on a wonderful culinary journey to India with five delicious curries for our residents to sample.

The menu included Katsu, Vegan Malaysian, Indian Chickpea, Thai Green, and Fish Curry. The wonderful aromas filled the home and had everyone looking forward to tasting the dishes.

Our lovely resident, Sadie, who grew up in India, said it was just like being back home. Other residents commented that the smells and flavours were amazing, saying it felt just like dining in their favourite Indian restaurant.

The tasting was a huge success, and our talented chef received a well-deserved round of applause and a big cheer from all our residents. Thank you for creating such a memorable and delicious experience!

Our residents had a blast stepping back in time with Rah Rah Theatre Company’s fantastic performance of The Swinging 60’s! The show was filled with classic songs, laughter, and wonderful memories as everyone sang along and reminisced about the music and moments that made the decade so special.

The lively performance brought smiles, happiness, and plenty of fun, creating a wonderful atmosphere for all to enjoy. It was a fantastic afternoon of entertainment, nostalgia, and shared memories that had everyone tapping their feet and joining in.

A huge thank you to Rah Rah Theatre Company for a brilliant show and for bringing so much joy to our residents!

Margaret is wonderfully creative and always keeps her hands busy. Recently, she has taken up embroidery again and has been creating some beautiful pieces. Margaret says that once she starts a project, she simply has to finish it — she has even put her reading aside to complete her latest work. Talents like Margaret’s never fade; they continue to grow and shine. 

We like to follow our residents' hobbies and provide them with the essentials to continue.       

Our residents have been very happy getting hands on and back in the kitchen. Choosing their own delicious snacks and preparing them themselves ready for our afternoon activities and enjoyment. Resident Margaret said, ‘it’s good to help out and keep our hands going and, most of all, to make others happy with what we deliver’. 

We look forward to our weekly cooking club and continue trying new dishes to suit everyone’s taste.     

Residents at Cossins House wished to grow their own Herb Garden, so we asked our fabulous gardener, Alex, to support us with doing this. Alex built us a planter and took us out to the garden centre to buy some herbs. We had a great afternoon out alongside afternoon tea, then came back and started planting our herbs. 

We are looking forward to watching them grow, being able to smell the scents as we walk our garden and use them in our daily meals.  

We had  a fantastic afternoon filled with fun, laughter, and a little friendly competition! Staff took part in sack races, egg and spoon races, sprints, and plenty of other games, bringing out everyone’s competitive spirit.

Our residents had a wonderful time cheering everyone on, placing their friendly bets, and enjoying all the excitement. Blowing the whistle to set us off on our challenges. To top it all off, we were treated to fantastic live music from our friend Steve, making it the perfect summer afternoon.        

Our dearest Robert is very fond of poetry and decided to start a Poetry Club. After a wonderful turn out of residents gathering together to share their poetry, Robert decided to try something new. He took out his Patience Strong book and started to prepare a poem for residents to read over lunch. 

This became a huge success and has continued each day. Robert is supported by the team to type up six copies of the daily poems to put on each dinner table. Residents take it in turns to read aloud each day and spend the lunch period discussing the poem. Our residents continue to talk during the afternoons about the poems and often reread them. A great club to start by our wonderful Robert.       

When our lovely resident Brenda received an invitation to dinner, she was excited to find the perfect outfit for the occasion. With the help of our wonderful administrator, the pair headed off to Marks & Spencer for a fun afternoon of shopping and style advice.

After trying on lots of different outfits and sharing plenty of smiles along the way, Brenda found some beautiful new clothes that made her feel confident and ready for her special evening out.

Safe to say, we have one very happy resident! Retail therapy really does work wonders.          

What a wonderful afternoon it was, filled with glorious sunshine, great company, and plenty of delicious treats! Everyone enjoyed sampling a variety of cocktails while tucking into the fantastic food prepared by our talented residents.

On the menu were prawn cocktails, crispy onion bhajis, and chicken in breadcrumbs served with sweet chilli sauce — all absolutely delicious!

A perfect day of laughter, celebration, and community spirit.      

Our residents are overjoyed by the glorious change in the weather. We have been out walking in the garden, helping to pot fresh new plants and soaking up some vitamin D. We look forward to each day, seeing new buds appear on our trees, the colours of the flowers beginning to bloom and friendships growing whilst socially engaging in the garden. 

We are very lucky to have such beautiful grounds and nature to watch.