Activities at Kirkburn Court Care Home
Here at Kirkburn Court, we aim to facilitate a personalised programme of meaningful activities, which are designed to promote independence, social stimulation and cognitive function. We strive to create a comfortable and safe environment where fun, creativity and individuality are encouraged. We feel it is important for us and residents to place value on yesterday, today and tomorrow – which is why we invest heavily in getting to know residents and learning their life history.
Our inclusive, yet respectful ethos is reflected in the wide range of activities we offer – ranging from larger structured group activities to one-to-one sessions. Our monthly activity programmes are extremely varied, but some of the activities you may expect to find include concerts, crafts, games, exercise sessions, reminiscing and outings. We also have a strong relationship with the local community and often invite external guests into the home, including performers, schools, and choirs.
Claire Burden
I began my career with Barchester in December 2017. Having worked within the teaching profession for the preceding 8 years, I feel that I bring a range of transferable skills to the activities team.
I strongly believe that the provision of activities is about so much more than just structured, planned events – capturing and celebrating the little moments in daily life, such as enjoying a chat and a cup of tea together, are equally as important.
Activities, no matter how big or small, should be at the heart of every home and that individuality should be celebrated. In addition, I feel that activities should take a person-centred approach, which is why I enjoy spending time with the residents and learning about their preferences and their history.
My own interests include football, politics, crafting and drinking tea, and I enjoy nothing better than engaging with residents on these topics! I aim to bring energy, a friendly smile and a willing ear to the home each day.
Activities and Events Partnerships
As part of our bespoke life-enrichment programmes, we host a number of live virtual events in the home on a regular basis through a number of partnerships with places of interest and world class performance companies
Life at Kirkburn Court Care Home
Donkey Visit
We have had some special visitors at Kirkburn recently and they were of the big eared variety! Our residents, staff and visitors had great fun meeting Pugh and Barney!
The sun came out just in time for us to gather outside and greet our guests. We learned some fun facts about the donkeys and all their likes and dislikes. They were able to do some window visits too and got lots of waves!
A huge thank you to Jenny's Donkeys from Inverurie for coming to visit us!
A Fond Farewell
As you may have noticed, Kirkburn has been undergoing some refurbishment over the last few months! Although the work is not quite finished, the project is nearing the end. We recently took some time out to thank the guys by presenting them with a card and cake.
They have become part of the furniture over the past few months and the residents and staff have really got to know them. Some special friendships have been formed, none more so than with our resident Sandy. It has been the highlight of his day to see the guys and he has enjoyed having so much banter with them.
Not all of the guys who have worked on the project are pictured here - but we would like to say a massive THANK YOU to Bruce, Adam, Stuart, John, Jamie, Mark, Paul, Sandy, Stevie, Ryan and Lee (All from JBS). There have also been other companies who have been involved too but we will do our full list of thank you's at the end.
We look forward to sharing some pictures with you once the project is fully completed, but for now all we will say is that Kirkburn really does have the WOW factor!
A Special Anniversary
A huge congratulations to our lovely resident Chris and her husband Harry - who have recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary! They enjoyed a wee family afternoon tea to celebrate and had a lovely time reminiscing and sharing stories about their lives together. Congratulations to you both from all of us here at Kirkburn.
Senior Health and Fitness Day
We have recently celebrated Senior Health and Fitness Day by getting ourselves moving!
Helen and Neil were delighted to be guinea pigs to try out our new DIY air hockey and table tennis table! The competition was fierce and they had a great laugh, as did all the other residents and staff cheering them on!
We also had a few games of one of our old favourites, balloon tennis! It gets us moving, jumping, stretching and smiling unlike any other! We even dusted off the tin can alley to give our arms and shoulders a bit of a workout. Some of our residents and staff also had a go of our pedal machine too!
"Great fun and great exercise" - in the words of our residents.
Peterhead Academy Visit
We have recently had the pleasure of welcoming two sets of first year pupils from Peterhead Academy. The pupils brought along some song sheets and we enjoyed a big sing along together - accompanied by their music teacher on piano. We were also treated to a lovely cello solo. We then spent some time playing games together - including monopoly, dominoes and cards.
It was lovely to see the residents and pupils interacting with each other - sharing laughter and stories. The residents all agreed that the pupils were exceptionally well behaved and well mannered. They were also very thoughtful by taking the time to help the residents when playing the games. We thoroughly enjoyed their visit and are looking forward to welcoming them back soon.
RAF Hendon
Across our services we had a lovely time joining Rhiannon Watkinson from the RAF Museum London for an interactive talk exploring the exciting and innovative aviation history of Hendon.
Our residents were able to learn about the first flights from the fields at Hendon, the creation of the London Aerodrome and Battle of Britain pilots who flew from RAF Hendon.
The talk also included photographic and film material from the Museum’s archive. Residents across our homes had a fantastic time and we truly enjoyed the virtual experience.
Upcoming events
Community Cafe - Last Tuesday of the month
Do you fancy some company and a good blether? Come and join us at our monthly community cafe.
Carer's Support Group - 4th Wednesday of the month
Hosted by Dementia Advisors from Alzheimer's Scotland, come along for advice, support and guidance on local services. All welcome.
