Activities at Edgbaston Beaumont Care Home

We were thrilled to welcome local TV presenter, jewellery valuation and antiques expert Nick Davis to our home for a fascinating session all about antiques! Nick started with a few valuations of some of the residents’ personal items. They were so excited for him to see. Nick gave a brief overview of his life, trials, challenges and successes. The whole room was captivated!

Residents had a brilliant time sharing stories and learning the history behind some truly unique treasures. Including a 1000-year-old Egyptian artifact. From vintage teacups to wartime memorabilia, it was a walk down memory lane full of laughter, memories, and a few surprises!     

The African Drums, a vital instrument used as a form of communication over long distances and also often embedded with spirituality, bridging the gap between the ancestors and the living world. Drumming is a way of life for many and is used throughout African cultures to connect people to their history and roots. A very present object connecting the past and the present, through complex narratives and rhythmic patterns. 

Our residents at Edgbaston Beaumont, enjoyed delving into the rich history of the drum and taking part and interacting not only with Rocky, but with each other. At the end of the session, the residents created a piece they performed with Rocky and showcased to others in the room.

We had an absolute blast diving into one of the coolest tech trends around — Virtual Reality! Our residents slipped on the VR headsets and suddenly found themselves with the ability to stroll along tropical beaches, explore ancient castles, and even swim with dolphins (without getting wet!).

The laughter, wide eyes, and “oohs” and “aahs” said it all, it was like a mini holiday without leaving the lounge! It’s not every day you get to time travel or take a hot air balloon ride from your armchair. We’re so excited (and proud!) to be one of the first care homes to try out this amazing experience — and judging by the grins, it definitely won’t be the last! 

Our lovely resident, Rae, wanted to go for a lovely afternoon tea, and so we booked a table at the very chic 'The Ivy' restaurant in Birmingham. Rae went along with our deputy home manager, Tsungai, and they both had an absolute blast together. 

Earlier on in the day, Rae also had her hair done in the salon and a hand massage from our external masseuse Nicole. It is important for us to listen to our residents and get to know them and what makes them happy. Granting Rae’s wish, especially as Rae hardly leaves her bedroom, often preferring her own company, was truly a special moment and a memory that will last a lifetime.  

Residents have been enjoying getting in the festive spirit at Edgbaston Beaumont with Christmas card and bauble making. 

The home is looking beautiful with all the Christmas decorations out and the personalised baubles are a sweet addition to their own spaces. 

Crafts are a great way of encouraging individual creativity and providing fun stimulation for the residents. 

Residents and families recently enjoyed attending our lovely craft fair.  We had both resident and local stallholders selling crafts and displaying their lovely work.  Our head chef rustled up some lovely cakes and residents enjoyed some decadent hot chocolates! The afternoon was topped off by a lovely performance from singer Imogen Mansfield and our regular exercise session with James.

Residents recently enjoyed an interesting talk about lighthouse keepers, given by Mark Lewis. Mark is the son of a past resident at Edgbaston Beaumont, and was keen to come in to treat the residents to one of his talks. 

The residents were fascinated as he spoke about the history of lighthouse keepers in the UK and their day to day lives. One of our residents even spoke about her brother who used to be a lighthouse keeper! We look forward to Mark visiting again soon.

Ana joined Barchester initially as a bank carer in April 2024, but soon became a permanent member of staff.   Ana is a dedicated carer, and is a well respected member of the care team, praised by the residents and her colleagues, always going the extra mile.

Residents recently enjoyed a visit from Bournbrook Fire Brigade as part of Emergency Services Day. A few members of the department came in to join residents for breakfast cooked by our wonderful kitchen staff, and provided some great advice on fire safety within the home.  We greatly appreciate our local services and emergency service staff are always welcome here for a hot drink and rest. 

Recently we had a lovely visit at the home from Prancer the alpaca courtesy of Fitnniss, a local organisation dedicated to enhancing the wellbeing of vulnerable individuals. The team brought Prancer in on a sunny afternoon and the residents absolutely loved having him in our garden and learning all about these special animals. They even got to enjoy feeding him and touching his wonderfully soft fur!

The sun decided to make an appearance for our lovely summer fete at Edgbaston Beaumont.  The residents enjoyed live entertainment, outdoor exercises, stalls and a wonderful bbq! The day was absolutely fantastic and it was so nice to see the residents outside spending time with family and friends.  We also raised money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital on the tombola!

We recently celebrated resident Nan’s 90th birthday here with a lovely afternoon tea in our café.  Nan was joined by family and friends from afar and they enjoyed gathering for the food and prosecco provided by our wonderful kitchen staff.  Nan’s secret to a long healthy life is ‘eating healthy, but enjoying a chocolate treat every day’.

Recently at Edgbaston Beaumont we took a couple of our residents out to view the Victorian Radicals Exhibition currently on at Gas Hall.  The exhibition includes Pre- Raphaelite sketches and paintings as well as work by textile designer William Morris.  Our residents thoroughly enjoyed the experience, as well as learning about the history of some of the famous pieces.  For our resident Anne, founder of Birmingham Printmakers Association, the day out was a particular highlight.

We have been celebrating 200 years of Cadbury chocolate here at Edgbaston.  Being so local to the factory in Bournville it was especially important to celebrate the legacy of the famous confectionary company.

Residents were treated to a live virtual event about the rich history of Cadbury, as well as a talk by our resident Graham about his experience working there.

Highlights of his career included working abroad in New Zealand and assisting on a special edition publication for the Sunday Times about chocolate boxes.  Everyone here thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate devoted afternoon!

Here at Edgbaston Beaumont we had a sensory relaxation afternoon for the residents designed to relax the 5 senses: sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste.

The downstairs lounge was set up with gentle lighting, lavender scent and calming music and residents were offered a relaxing hand massage. A couple of the residents commented that they had never had a hand massage before and found the experience relaxing.

We finished off the session with some tasty soft Turkish Delight and a muscle relaxation, leaving residents feeling thoroughly tranquil!