Activities at Crabwall Hall Care Home

We had the most lovely resident and family Christmas Party at Crabwall Hall. Everyone got into the Christmas spirit and had a fantastic evening.

It was so nice to see our residents enjoying a great evening with their loved ones.

We all know how important it is for us all to take time out and enjoy the festive atmosphere. The wine flowed, the music got us on our toes and seeing everyone having a fantastic time is what Christmas is all about!

Everyone loves a PJ Day. Last week at Crabwall Hall, our wonderful staff decided to come to work in their very own pyjamas to celebrate Christmas Pyjama Day.

As we went about our daily routine, the residents loved seeing us all in something different from our uniforms. We all admitted that we would come in every day in our PJs as they are so comfortable.

We love celebrating these special days, and we love getting dressed up even more. Just to see the residents having a laugh is so beautiful. That is what working in our home is all about.  

Today is World Children's Day, and we had the pleasure of a visit from the children of Highfield Primary School in Blacon. As we all know, the residents love it when different schools come to us on a monthly visit. We work closely with Passion for Learning, which is a local charity that does so much with schools from around our area. 
         
They played games, made friendship bracelets, told jokes and drew pictures for everyone. And before they left, they sang Christmas songs which were just pure joy to listen to. It's so lovely to see the bond between these different age groups. The children's laughter and joy filled up our home, and we are now counting the days for their next visit.   
 

Yesterday we went round our stunning gardens and collected some beautiful coloured leaves. With these leaves, our residents made sun catchers which we put on our French Doors in the dining room. Our lovely Barbara even put on her sunglasses hoping for the sun to come out.

Autumn is a beautiful season which is shown beautifully in our amazing gardens. The colours are so spectacular that it makes looking out of the windows a joy.   

We had the most amazing day on the Shropshire Union Canal. We travelled from Christleton to Tatton Hall on a four-hour round journey. We went on the barge called the Pot of Gold which was manned by two lovely men, both called Colin. These dedicated men give up their spare time to the Community Narrowboating in the Wirral, Cheshire and beyond, which is a charity that runs these fantastic trips out. 

Our barge was equipped to take passengers in wheelchairs, which is ideal for some of our residents. Ian, our fantastic chef, made us a scrumptious picnic which was enjoyed with a chilled glass of wine. The scenery was amazing of the Cheshire countryside and everyone loved seeing all the swans and ducks playing in the water. We love to go on as many days out at Crabwall Hall as they have such a positive impact on the residents.

First she switched on our fabulous Christmas lights with the helping hand of Eddie, who is the most gorgeous grandson of Sue, one of our amazing carers. Even though it was a wet and windy night, it didn't stop everyone having a lovely evening.

Afterwards, the Lord Mayor of Chester enjoyed chatting with our residents, and they loved seeing her magnificent necklace, which was out of this world. They couldn't believe how heavy it was and how she managed to wear it for such a long time.

The staff and Lord Mayor then sang Christmas Carols for the residents while everyone else enjoyed hot chocolate with Baileys, mulled wine and mince pies. There was even a special addition of a baby shark, requested by the children in the home!

We all had the most wonderful evening, and it was such a pleasure to welcome the Lord Mayor to our home, and we hope to see her again in the near future.  

We all love to keep active and, on a weekly basis, we do armchair Zumba, which our residents really enjoy. 
Once a month, we get the professionals in to put us through our paces. Chris, a local instructor, does a gentle workout which uses every muscle in our bodies. It's nothing too strenuous but enough to make us feel good about ourselves.    

Joyce, who is in her 90s, had a hip replacement a few months ago, and she has been doing daily exercises that the physio told her to do. Chris generously gave her a band to use, and she has come on leaps and bounds and is now waiting for her next hip to be done. She said she feels fantastic and that she looks forward to seeing Chris and joining his class.            

We recently took our lovely ladies to the wonderful Ice Cream Farm in Tatton Hall. We felt like we were at Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory as it was so magical.

First, we had a look around all the attractions that they had to offer. They were amazing, but unfortunately, we were all a bit too old to try them. But you are never too old to enjoy a scrumptious ice cream.

With so many flavours to choose from, it took a while for us to make up our minds. We went for salted caramel, coffee, double chocolate and raspberry ripple cornets with, of course, strawberry sauce, sprinkles and a flake.

Everyone had a lovely day out.  

We had the pleasure of our first visit with the Mollington Pre-School children and what joy and laughter they brought into our home. From reading stories and singing songs for our residents to making lots of memories for us all. These wonderful children, aged from two to four, were such a delight. 

Their laughter was infectious and could be heard all around the building. They really made us all smile and the time we had with them was just so amazing. We'd like to say a big thank you to Clare and the other teachers for bringing them over . We are already looking forward to when we see them again.  

This fantastic local charity is run by amazing volunteers who give up their spare time to help children in the local area.

Without these brilliant people and all those that donate a lot of children would go without at Christmas time and all the year round.  

Thank you to everyone involved in raising funds to make this happen.  

We all love to keep active and on a weekly basis we do armchair Zumba which our residents really enjoy.

Once a month we get the professionals in to put us through our paces. Chris a local instructor does a gentle workout which uses every muscle in our bodies. It's nothing to strenuous but enough to make us feel good about ourselves  

Joyce who is in her 90s had a hip replacement a few months ago and she has been doing daily exercises that the physio told her to do. Chris generously gave her a band to use and she has come on leaps and bounds and is now waiting for her next hip to be done. She said she feels fantastic and that she looks forward to seeing Chris and joining in his class.    

All I can say is how brave all our residents are! We had a visit from Scaly Safari, who brought in some amazing creatures. Not one of them was frightened by this big hairy tarantula which was the size of an adult human.

Everyone had the most fantastic afternoon, especially Kath who wore her spider as a watch. She didn't flinch, what a superstar.

After holding and stroking big hairy spiders, our brave residents then went on to hold scaly reptiles. They are not frightened of anything and will hold any of these creatures. They are amazing and have no fear! They love it when any type of animal comes in to visit as it really makes their day.     

Crabwall Hall in Mollington, Chester, part of Barchester Healthcare, has introduced a ‘Don’t Dine Alone’ scheme, inviting individuals who would usually eat by themselves to join residents and staff for a three-course meal and an afternoon of socialising.

The first event took place on Friday, August 1, and was described as a "great success" by Nicole Welch, general manager at Crabwall Hall. Ms Welch said: "The day was a great success, and it was lovely to see members of the community enjoying the home's hospitality and the smiles on their faces were so heart-warming.

"It was a great effort by my team. They are always keen to do more to help those who feel lonely or cut off from the rest of the community."

Guests were welcomed with snacks and a sherry in the bistro before sitting down for lunch. Attendees came from Broxton, West Kirby, and Chester.

After the meal, guests took part in games, including bingo, and enjoyed a beer in honour of International Beer Day. Crabwall Hall’s head chef prepares a variety of dishes to meet individual dietary needs and preferences.

The ‘Don’t Dine Alone’ event will be held on the first Friday of each month. Elderly members of the community are encouraged to book a place by calling the care home. The scheme was launched by Barchester Healthcare to support vulnerable and isolated people living nearby.  

We recently celebrated our summer fair where residents, their loved ones and the staff team, enjoyed a live singer in the afternoon which got everyone in the mood for a fun afternoon. Afterwards, in the garden, we had the pleasure of a visit from two local horses, Willow and Clypso, who were happy to take the children for a ride, and they also loved all the pampering that came their way.  

The day saw everyone enjoying fun and games together and the sun did even come out for us!  We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who helped us arrange this Summer Fair, and another big thank you to our residents' family and friends for coming along and showing your support.