Activities at Hafan-Y-Coed Care Home

Weekends are the perfect opportunity to get creative with some autumn crafts and baking. Our residents enjoyed making autumn-themed stencil craft drawings, while others got busy in the kitchen baking delicious shortbread biscuits and decorating Halloween pumpkin biscuits for fun. These were  all enjoyed with a lovely cuppa! One resident said: “I love autumn, it's my favourite season. 

The weather isn’t too cold to go on walks and I love seeing all the colours of the leaves all changing”. Another resident said “I love the smell of Autumn cooking. All the spices really awaken your senses and it reminds me that Christmas is around the corner”.      

The residents thoroughly enjoyed our beach-themed garden party and although it was a little windy, the fantastic music and entertainment from Robbie Lee brought plenty of joy to everyone. During the event, we also popped into the local chip shop and brought back traditional fish and chips wrapped in newspaper, which residents devoured. Dennis said, “You can just beat the smell of fish and chips, it was a real treat on beach days as a kid."

We also celebrated National Lemonade Day by making our own fresh lemonade and enjoying lemon tasting cakes and biscuits. Residents also took part in our weekly baking session, where they enjoyed making their own delicious biscuits and decorating them with various toppings, all with a lemon twist.      

This month, we were delighted to welcome our favourite local farm back into the home, giving residents the opportunity to enjoy a close up, hands on experience with a variety of small animals. The visit was enjoyed not only by residents in the communal areas but also by those who prefer individual sessions in the comfort of their own rooms.

From friendly ferrets and guinea pigs to a gentle tortoise, there was something for everyone to enjoy. The visit encouraged many residents to reminisce about pets they had owned over the years, with some sharing fascinating and heart-warming stories.

One resident commented, “This has been the best thing I’ve seen for a long time. Thank you so much for bringing them to my room. It reminds me of my pet dog, Willy, who I absolutely adored.” Thank you once again to Brynteg Farm.

We have certainly been enjoying the lovely weather here at the home.

We celebrated National Piña Colada Day, where everyone enjoyed a live demonstration on how to make the perfect piña colada before sampling this classic together.

We’ve also been making the most of the sunshine with outings in our local community, including a lovely visit to the Sandpiper for coffee and cake. One of our residents, Mike, commented, “The view from the café looked like a postcard – it was that pretty.”

To help everyone stay cool and hydrated during the warmer weather, we’ve been enjoying a variety of summer-themed activities. Residents had great fun making refreshing ice lollies, trying delicious summer recipes, and celebrating National Ice Cream Day with a selection of tasty ice creams.

One of the highlights was our virtual cruise experience. Residents spent the day “at sea,” with the dining room transformed into a cruise ship restaurant for a themed fine dining experience. Throughout the meal, everyone was entertained with live performances, creating the atmosphere of a real cruise holiday.

This month our residents enjoyed a lovely minibus trip to a local splash park, where we sat in the sunshine enjoying delicious ice creams and watching the children play. Before long, some of our residents decided to join in the fun themselves, bringing lots of smiles and laughter to the day. Ann laughed when one of the water fountains came on and soaked one of the Activties team. 

The day sparked conversation about their own park day experiences as a child and with their own families.  

Residents have been enjoying a range of autumn-themed activities this month by enjoying making stained-glass-style window decorations using an array of seasonal colours. Residents also enjoyed a pumpkin painting pottery class where they enjoyed painting afterwards. Another fun activity saw residents using vegetables to make unusual patterns in our harvest-themed painting session. These activities have encouraged reminiscence, with residents sharing memories of their childhood, their own children and seasonal traditions such as pumpkin carving, Bonfire Night and making pumpkin pie.  

Val shared how she used to make pumpkin pie after her children had carved their pumpkins and would even leave some of the pumpkins outside for the hedgehogs, as she knew they enjoyed them.   

This month we surprised our residents with a mystery trip and the destination was a wonderful visit to the great outdoors to meet the alpacas!

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed time to relax in the sunshine, whilst enjoying the peaceful surroundings  and even feed the alpacas. As you can see from the smiles all around, it was a lovely afternoon.

One of our residents, Mike, who joined us on the trip, shared: “I’ve had a fantastic afternoon. I used to live on a farm until I was about 14, and I’ve absolutely loved every bit of the day.”

Hafan Y Coed Care Home in Llanelli passed a recent Care Inspectorate Wales inspection with ‘Excellent’ rating, the best possible rating, across the board, after being praised for operating a safe, well-maintained, caring and well-led service.  

The report stated that there was a strong sense of community and teamwork in the home nurtured by a very well-respected management team who promote choice, independence and positive wellbeing outcomes for their residents.  

A relative commented: “They go over and above what’s required. It’s the thoughtful little things, you don’t need to ask, they just do it.”  

Our COO, Natasha Lazovic, visited Hafan Y Coed to congratulate the team on the home’s Excellent rating and award every member of staff a £500 voucher to celebrate their achievement. She shared: “Hafan Y Coed is a fantastic home delivering exceptional care to its residents. I couldn’t be prouder of the General Manager, Sarah, and every single member of staff here. I am delighted to be here today to congratulate everyone personally, meet the residents and chat to the team about their wonderful achievement.

To start the summer months off with a bang, we hosted an afternoon in the garden while listening to a wonderful Local wind band. It was a lovely opportunity for residents to spend time together, along with their invited family and friends, enjoying an afternoon in the sunshine.

Activities like this benefit our residents by providing a sense of connection with their families and helping them maintain their identity as a parent, grandparent, or other family member. They also encourage social interaction and strengthen relationships within the home.

The music brought joy to the residents and encouraged reminiscence, allowing them to reflect on happy memories and share stories with others. Overall, it was a fantastic afternoon enjoyed by everyone who attended. Val said “It was a lovely sunny day made even better with a summery glass of Pimms”.            

As we couldn’t all fit on the bus to go to the races, we decided to bring the races to our home instead.

Our virtual race-themed event saw residents, friends, and family come together for an evening full of fun and excitement. Everyone enjoyed placing their bets using our betting cards and cheering on their chosen horse as it raced towards the finish line.

Our ladies were dressed in beautiful hats, while the gents embraced the occasion by becoming jockeys for the evening. The Prosecco was flowing, prizes were won, and there were smiles all around. Dorothy said “I was absolutely thrilled with my flowers for coming first. They are in my bedroom brightening up my day.       

We invited our residents, families, friends and staff to join us for a wonderful summer barbecue. Our Head Chef, Chris, prepared an absolutely fabulous, colourful and delicious spread, including all the tasty sides, which was beautifully enjoyed with a little Prosecco or two in the garden.

Following our barbecue, we were delighted to welcome the wonderful Burry Port Male Voice Choir, who had us all singing along to some much loved songs in both Welsh and English.

It was such a stunning summers evening filled with delicious food, music and fun. One family member of one of our residents said, ‘Hosting evening events gives us a great opportunity to join in with my Mother as I work during the day. It's lovely to enjoy these special evenings as a family’.    

We boarded 15 of our residents onto the minibus, making multiple trips to ensure as many people as possible could join us at Park Howard for our picnic and prosecco outing.

To mark National Prosecco Day, we popped a few bottles and enjoyed the bubbles while soaking up the sunshine. We also enjoyed a wonderful picnic prepared by our Head Chef, with something for everyone to enjoy , from homemade Scotch eggs and sausage rolls to delicious quiches.

We played games on the picnic blankets, enjoyed plenty of laughter and made the most of the beautiful weather. It was even more special to have a few families join us too.

One resident reminisced saying ‘I used to play at this park when I was a little girl, it’s just lovely to spend the day here, it brings back so many happy memories.’

We are incredibly lucky here in Wales to live alongside some of the most beautiful coastlines in the UK, so it was only right that we hopped on the minibus and treated our residents to a day at the beach. This week’s destination was the beautiful Burry Port Beach, where everyone enjoyed paddling in the sea, playing beach ball, feeling the sand between their toes, and, of course, finishing the trip with a delicious ice cream.

As we sat together enjoying the stunning views, residents shared fond memories of seaside holidays and family days out. One resident reminisced, “We used to make the most amazing sandcastles with our children and go to different beaches each weekend.” It was wonderful to hear these stories and see everyone reminiscing with smiles.

Our regular beach trips will continue throughout the summer, giving residents the opportunity to enjoy the fresh sea air, beautiful scenery, and the seaside.

If you would like to join us on one of our upcoming beach adventures, please get in touch with our Activities Coordinator. We’d love to have you along!

This month we started our Eurovision themed song contest day with none other than an ABBA show. Not only were we entertained by Kelly, but, of course, Marie jumped on the mic too! 

The staff fully embraced the theme, dressing up in fabulous 70s gear while the room was decorated to match the disco vibes perfectly. We were all singing “Mamma Mia” and, by the end of it, singing “SOS”. 

Indeg commented saying that Abba is her favourite band and how much their songs have helped her through difficult times, being so upbeat and fun.

This month we celebrated Culture and Diversity Week by coming together for a wonderful party recognising the many cultures within our home.

Staff worked together to create an incredible display of food from around the world, representing Wales, the Philippines, Mexico, Greece, India, Nepal, Scotland, China, the UK and Italy. Everyone made a truly remarkable effort. Marie, our activities lead, said: “It was a wonderful event and lovely to see the different traditional attires worn by the staff. I can’t wait till next year’s event already”.

The evening was filled with delicious food, and a real sense of togetherness. Everyone went to bed with full bellies and full hearts after such a diverse and team-focused event.

One resident said: “The variety of food was exceptional. I love trying new foods and my favourite was the Philippian foods, which were really tasty”.