Activities at Lucerne House Care Home
At Lucerne House our person-centred activity programme has been tailored to suit the residents living in our home. It is constantly developing due to the direct feedback from our residents and enables them to take part in existing hobbies and new tasks that aim to stimulate creativity, intellect, physical ability and improve well being. With music groups, pub outings, cooking, gardening, one to one time, entertainers, quiz's, bingo and more, there is never a shortage of things to do.
We also have external providers who visit the home. We have Rachel Sherring who provides Yoga Sessions, Lorrain Christopher who is available every Wednesday and Thursday for hair appointments in our on site salon, Sharon Rees who visits on a Wednesday to provide massage therapy sessions in the comfort of your chair and regular Church Services which do include a monthly Holy Communion. We are always open to new suggestions, so if you do have any, our activities team will always be happy to listen.
Alex Petersen
I have been at Lucerne House since November 2011. I started in the kitchen before moving to the Activities Team. I have a background in music and theatre and was very happy to be able to share this with residents in the home. After a short while, I was promoted to Head of Activities, and earned my NAPA level 2 qualification in Activity Provision.
In the role of Head of Activities, I am focused on ensuring that residents can continue to enjoy existing hobbies and interests, but also pursue new avenues of stimulation and activity. I am always looking to bring new experiences and means of engagement to the home, be that through massage therapy, yoga, engaging with the local community or many other things. At Lucerne House, our person-centred approach allows us to make every resident feel valued and comfortable enough to express themselves however they see fit.
My goal is to ensure that every person living at Lucerne House feels confident enough to make independent decisions and that each of them have a robust choice of activities and interests to engage with. I am always open to suggestions, so if you do have any, please do not hesitate to let me know.
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 Lucerne House Care Home
Bonfire Night
Our residents will certainly remember the 5th November. We had a great time, tucking into hot dogs, nibbles and cakes which was then followed by a fantastic fireworks display in our car park. Thank you to all the team for their help, supporting residents to attend the event and to our neighbours, friends and past employees for joining us. Our residents said it was so wonderful to be able to have a display and it will be a memory they carry with them for months and years to come.
Virtual Halloween Costume Contest
Our residents got together yesterday to judge our Virtual Halloween costume contest. This is a great way of enabling our residents to engage with our community and with the festivities of Halloween. We had some amazing entries from here in the UK to as far as the USA.
From all of the residents at Lucerne House, we would like to thank everyone who took part in our competition this year. The entries submitted were superb and we have thoroughly enjoyed seeing them. It was a very close decision and if we could, we would have awarded a prize to all of you for your efforts. It was so close that we have had to increase the number of prizes slightly.
We look forward to inviting entrants into our Virtual Christmas event in December!
Pizza making at Lucerne House
Our residents have been busy at a recent cooking group, making pizzas for their tea. It has been excellent fun and prompted lots of creativity. It did raise the age old question, "does pineapple belong on pizza"?
Our cooking groups are a great way for keeping us active, promoting independence and maintaining skills we have gained over the years.
Ernie & Ben - A Special Friendship
Some years ago, we were joined by classes from Alphington Primary School who were doing a project on VE day and World War 2. The children all buddied up with one of our residents and together discussed how it impacted them and what they could remember. This is where Ernie, a resident who used to be with us met Ben Palmer, a student at the school.
They shared some stories and discussed some topics such as school and other interests.
Later that year, Ernie, along with other residents visited the students in the school at Alphington Primary, who performed a presentation for us and served us a tea party on the playing fields
It was later when we discovered that Ben and Ernie had struck up such a friendship that Ben had been coming to visit Ernie in the evening and on weekends.
Ernie was incredibly moved by this gesture and felt immense pride in Ben, for visiting him and for the man, Ernie saw Ben becoming. Ernie would tell staff and other residents all about Ben and what he had been up to.
Covid struck and visiting became difficult but that did not stop Ben from coming to see his friend. Ernie was especially proud to see Ben when he came to visit after his first day of high school in September 2020, to show him his uniform and to talk about his day.
Ernie was staying with us after a diagnosis of Motor Neuron Disease. He had a led a fantastic life which included helping British athletes prepare for the Olympic Games.
Sadly in October 2020, Ernie passed. We were all deeply saddened by this, none more so than Ben.
Ben has always kept fond memories of Ernie and still, to this day, thinks of him and acknowledges his now passed friend, each time he walks by Lucerne House.
Ben wanted to do something to pay tribute and support his friend and others who may be living their lives with MND including his grandmother who has recently been diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease. His school were looking for a charity to support and when it came to vote, Ben was the only one to raise his hand for MND. This was upsetting for Ben who carried this sadness until he came home. Clare Palmer, Ben's mum has set up a just giving page for Ben, with all the proceeds going to the Motor Neuron Disease Association.
Please click the link below to go to his just giving page and if you can, help him to raise money for such a worthwhile cause.
Knit & Natter
With the colder weather approaching our residents have been knitting at our Knit and Natter morning. Our recent session was all about getting back into the swing of it but the discussion soon turned to what we could make. Scarves, hats, blankets, nothing was off the table. Our group will meet each week to continue with their knitting and start their winter knitting project.
Deputy Lord Mayor Visit
In September we were honoured to be visited by the Deputy Lord Mayor of Exeter. They came and supported our residents to sign the book of condolences for King Charles III and his family.
It was so lovely to be visited by the Deputy Lord Mayor and our residents have enjoyed meeting and chatting with him. The visit this morning has left an amazing feeling of connectivity and inclusion in such a pivotal moment in all of our histories and we are so thankful to them for including us.
