Activities at Hickathrift House Care Home

In August Den's wish was granted by our Post a Wish initiative. Den absolutely loved going fishing last year and was thrilled to head back to the lakes again this year. He enjoyed reminiscing about fishing, his greatest catches and early mornings on the lake.

All the gentlemen thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the sun (and a few drops of rain), looking at the catches of the day and reminiscing about life at Burlingham's Lake. Our amazing fisherman John caught an incredibly impressive 30 fish, which gave us something to cheer for.

Den said, "I've spent a morning or two sitting with my fishing rod by the lake. I've had some beautiful fish out of it. Thank you, it’s been great."

Wow! We had a fabulous time together with family, friends, residents, staff and volunteers today! We spent the afternoon chatting away over a glass of Pimm’s and plates full of delicious, barbequed food prepared by our Head Chef Nicci! Residents also loved being joined by Walpole Whippy for a scrumptious ice cream!

After filling our bellies, we sang and danced to the lovely singing by KJ & The Catt! Residents, their loved ones and staff enjoyed dressing up for the event and singing summertime songs together.

This momentous annual occasion was once again incredible, the whole patio was full of locals and family members chatting away with residents and staff. A huge thank you to everyone who came and made the event bigger than last year!

Residents had an incredible time picking sunflowers at the Fairview Events in Emneth. The bright vibrant colours from the sunflowers danced in the sunshine and truly brought about the start of summer. Everyone just adored reminiscing about their gardens and then helping brighten up the home with our assortment of sunflowers. It was a very beautiful and sensory trip that had us all smiling from ear to ear. The trip was made even more special as Carer, Julie, knitted each resident and staff member a beautiful sunflower to wear and keep, remembering the experience!

At Hickathrift House we provide a minimum of 8 outings a month to help residents continue to feel part of the community. This particular trip provided a sense of purpose and independence for the residents who adored picking their flowers for Hickathrift, their home.

Excitement is running high at Hickathrift House where the talented staff and residents have been named runners up in the Barchester and Lakeland Dairies’ Ice Cream Sundae competition. Their fantastic prize is £80 in vouchers plus a Lakeland Dairies goodie bag filled with delicious products.

To celebrate National Ice Cream Day, residents from Barchester’s care homes and hospitals up and down the country were invited to compete for the coveted Best Ice Cream Sundae title.  The competition is run by Lakeland Dairies and the bar is set very high. Many of Barchester’s residents are very skilled cooks and everyone loves ice cream, so the competition was fierce.

Discovering adventures and sparking conversations through books, CDs, DVDs and puzzles are very important to residents at Hickathrift House care home in Marshland St James. From Thursday the 1st of August, residents have been asking the community to be involved in their month-long swap or sale event.

The idea of the Swap or Sale Event is that the local community can rehome their beloved books, CDs, DVDs or puzzles for residents to enjoy and explore new items by discovering residents' once-loved items. Additionally, if locals want to take a puzzle or CD they are asked to leave a small donation which will be used to purchase new large print books and audiobooks. During the entire month of August, Hickathrift House care home is welcoming the community to explore their library and swap in order to discover new authors, artists and films. They also have a trolley full of diverse items outside the home for a quick stop-by. The new items will be treasured and loved by residents.

Last week we had a beautiful time at Norfolk Lavender. This stunning place is a perfect outing for residents especially those living with dementia as it provides a fantastic opportunity for sensory stimulation.

We loved taking a mindful moment to admire the amazing range of colours and shapes dancing in the sunlight, and the wildlife the gardens offer. There are the smells of flowers and of course the stunning lavender. And the sounds were heightened in the scenic garden, we heard birdsong, insects, and the rustle of wind in the trees.

Everyone had an incredible time socialising and enjoying the scenery. A huge thank you to Julie for volunteering.