Activities at Hickathrift House Care Home

We had the absolute pleasure of being entertained by members of the Denver Windmill Acoustic Session. It was an absolute joy listening to a variety of instruments and seeing all these incredible jig dolls from this local group. Jig dolls have loose limbs that step dance or 'jig' on the end of a vibrating board.

Residents sang along to several songs they knew and loved from when they were little. These sparked many memories which we shared throughout the session.
Betty said, "It was just marvellous. It was such a joy to meet and swap stories together. I had a brilliant time".

Barchester’s Hickathrift House care home, in Marshland St James, is a den of ghoulish activity as the home’s spooky Halloween celebrations get into full swing.  Residents and staff are getting into the spirit of things by holding a pumpkin flower arranging afternoon with Bargain Bridal Boutique.

Corrine, owner of Bargain Bridal Boutique, visited the care home with numerous artificial flowers of various types and colours for the residents to use for their pumpkin flower arranging. Corrine, her daughter and grandson supported residents in making stunning floral displays for the home’s communal areas.

As part of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month which takes place throughout September, staff and residents created stunning Forget Me Not crafts and other creative activities that help spark memories. The forget me not flower is long associated with dementia. Everyone enjoyed sharing their anecdotes when they took part in a range of crafts including knitting, wreath making, aqua painting and designing sensory collages. The beautiful pieces of artwork is on display at the entrance of our Memory Lane unit for all to see.

Being creative gives a lovely balance of expressing yourself, a sense of achievement and pure joy for people with dementia. It not only helps with cognitive functions but reduces stress and sparks beautiful memories of pets, nature and an array of other topics.

Norah was joined by her family to celebrate her 102nd Birthday. It was an incredibly special day. It started with opening presents and cards, reminiscing about past birthdays and looking through photographs of Norah's life. In the afternoon, we hosted a special cake and coffee treat with Norah's family in our Snug. All the staff came to sing Happy Birthday and deliver her favourite flavoured cake, Victoria Sponge. 

Happy Birthday, Norah from everyone at Hickathrift House Care Home. 

To celebrate the BBC Proms residents and their loved ones sampled some delicious snacks and mocktails in the sunshine while listening to the wonderful Singing Gardener's Proms & Musical performance. It was a lovely show sparking memories and conversations while also testing our knowledge on which song is from which musical.

At 7 pm residents and staff gathered around the TVs in communal areas, ready for the BBC Proms. We spent the following morning discussing our favourite parts over a cup of tea and cake. 

Rosie, a resident said, "My husband and I always watched the BBC Proms together which was very special to me. I've loved continuing this tradition with my friends at Hickathrift House and it was made even better with a live singer to launch the night."

Activities Coordinator, Emily Jackson from Hickathrift House Care Home in Marshland St James has taken part in becoming a ‘super-hair-o’ for The Little Princess Trust

On Thursday 7th September at Hickathrift House Care Home, Emily had an incredible 22 inches of hair cut off for The Little Princess Trust charity. The Little Princess Trust provides real hair wigs to young people and children who have lost their hair due to cancer treatments or other conditions such as alopecia.