Activities at Laurel Bank Care Home
Activities are a fundamental part of a rich and varied lifestyle here at Laurel Bank Care Home, which is why we organise both physically and mentally stimulating social events for those we support. The weekly itinerary is ever-changing, and regularly includes art lessons, chair-based exercise, trips and visits from a variety of different animals, as well as one-to-one time for residents who prefer the peace and quiet. Our team actively tries to incorporate the hobbies and interests that are meaningful to residents into the activities schedule as encouragement to continue with much-loved pastimes.
Jaimy Lee Almond
Hi, my name is Jaimy Lee, and I am the Activities Coordinator here at Laurel Bank.
I have worked in the care home industry for over nine years. I started working at Laurel Bank in 2018 as a carer, and then, I was promoted to senior carer which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I moved over to activities in 2020, as I was asked to help out and help encourage residents to join in. During this, I realised how much fun it could be and chose to stay on and got promoted to Activities Coordinator.
I love my role as every day is different and I try to make sure the residents are happy and engage in meaningful activities, this also helps support the transition for new residents.
Read our brochure 'Life-enriching activities' for more information about life in our care homes.
Read our brochure
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 Laurel Bank Care Home
"Cheese and Wine Evening, a Brie-g Hit!"
“Lyndsay Scott, General Manager and Jamie Hodgson, Activities coordinator, hosted a naming ceremony recently for our brand new (robo) resident Cat, which was the perfect excuse for a cheese and wine evening!
Residents got to taste a selection of seven luxurious cheeses including some of Lancashire's finest, and what better way to wash it down than with a glass of wine or two!
And.... I hear you ask, What is the cats name? We can now reveal that it is - Toffee Apple! This may have had something to do with the Toffee Apple Cheddar that everybody enjoyed so much!”
Our Very Own Music Festival featuring The Red Cat Folk Collective
Residents at the home had a lovely afternoon when a 7 piece folk band "Red Cat Folk Collective"came to play as part of the Laurel Bank care home's Music Festival. The show was interactive, with residents helping the talented musicians out on percussion. Residents joined in with the harmonies by whistling & some even contributed bird noises!
The group was accompanied by their lovely mascot dog Flick, much to our delight! The music was inspiring, peaceful and calming featuring lots of countryside sounds and it was all the more enjoyable that everybody was able to join in with the Folk group!
Home recognised for End of Life care.
Laurel Bank has recently been recognised for its achievements in providing end of life care to its residents by St John's Hospice.
The Prestigious awards are organised by St John's Hospice. The awards aim to promote and recognise very high standards in quality of care and life experience for individuals and their carers.
Lyndsay Scott, General Manager said "This award celebrates individuals and teams who have demonstrated outstanding excellence in their work and Laurel Bank could not be more dedicated to top quality care. I am immensley proud of the team for completing this"
Residents Welcome Purr-fect Friend to the Home
Staff and residents at Barchester’s Laurel Bank care home in Lancaster met their purr-fect new friend last week when ‘Toffee Apple’ the robotic cat arrived.
Robotic cats and dogs are the latest advancement in pet therapy and have been proven to combat loneliness and relieve stress and tension. They work particularly well with elderly people who can no longer keep real animals because robotic animals don’t need feeding or cleaning up after!
Toffee Apple was donated to Laurel Bank by Lancashire County Council’s 50+ Assembly, who have raised £1800 to purchase 10 cats and 10 dogs, and she is very lifelike- she purrs when you stroke her, meows when you stop and even rolls on to her belly for a tummy tickle!
Activity Coordinator, Jamie Hodgson said: “Our residents absolutely love Toffee Apple already- she has a very calming effect, and is great for those who don’t like to get involved in our activities as much because she is always there. Her purr is particularly soothing!”
A resident at Laurel Bank said: “I love her! She’s so soft and cute, you really do forgot that she’s not a real cat- I find myself chatting away to her, just like I used to with my old cats! Even the staff have taken to her, stroking her whenever they pass!”
Not only has Toffee Apple had a soothing effect on residents at the home, she’s also got everybody talking as well. The residents are always excited to see her in the morning and ask after her if she’s visiting somebody else. We hosted a Cheese & Wine Evening that included a naming ceremony, and it was great to see everybody come together and reminisce about their previous pets. Toffee Apple certainly has gone down a treat!
Glasson Dock
Residents at Laurel Bank had a great day out last week as they visited the local village of Glasson Dock. The ladies went for a walk around the marina to have a look at all the boats before stopping for a nice cup of tea.
All of a sudden the ducks swam over hoping for some crumbs of food, but we had none. Luckily for the ducks, a kind passer by gave us some of his left over bread and so everybody was happy!
Trips out in the minibus are an amazing way for our residents to feel they are still part of the community, and are always spoken about afterwards for weeks!”
Autumn Newsletter
Upcoming events
November
What's going on in November? We'll be honouring Remembrance Day, celebrating our gents on International Men's Day, and hosting our firework display on Bonfire Night.
Christmas Fayre
We'd love everyone to join us for our Christmas Fayre. There's something for everyone including festive stalls, a Gospel Choir performance and even Santa's Grotto!
Coffee Mornings - Every Tuesday
Every Tuesday from 10.30am, you're invited to come along and meet new people while enjoying a chat over a hot drink. We’ll also have a variety of great activities to take part in!
