Activities at Melbourn Springs Care Home

Residents and staff enjoyed a visit from Pebbles the Pony and Bubbles the Dog. Both Pebbles and Bubbles were on their best behaviour as they took time to get to know everybody.
 One of the residents said how lovely it was that they had both visited her in her room and how, when she tells her son about it he will ask her if she has been drinking as a pony doesn't usually turn up in your room!!!
 Residents at Melbourn Springs love the animal interaction sessions that our dedicated Activities Team organise. As one of the foundations of our Life Enrichment program, we know that animal interactions can help reduce blood pressure and improve overall cardiovascular health.

A perfect day was had by all when we visited the Imperial War Museum, Duxford yesterday.
 It was especially poignant for our resident, John, who worked in the aviation industry and was able to name every plane that was in the aircraft hangar, which was very impressive.
 We finished the day by having a hot drink in the American café before heading back to Melbourn Springs full of new memories.
 A massive thank you to all the staff at Imperial War Museum Duxford who were very helpful and do an amazing job in keeping the museum a great place to visit for all ages.

The residents' had a very musical afternoon yesterday when they were treated to another live performance by the brilliant KJ & The Catt.
 There was a lot of singing and a lot of dancing from residents and staff alike as a full range of songs from yesterday and more recent filled the home.
 One of the cornerstones of our life enrichment program is live musical entertainment. Resident involvement in choosing genres along with feedback after each performance means that we are able to constantly improve our activities calendar.

We had a great afternoon at Melbourn Springs, with the activities team along with the kitchen team getting together to source some local cheeses, as well as some more exotic ones, and paired them with all sorts of wines.
 The residents had great fun trying different styles of wine with a wide variety of cheeses along with relishes, chutneys, grapes, plus a range of breads, biscuits and crackers.
 There was a lot of debate over which flavour combination was best, it was very hard to decide on a winner.

We have had a great morning of inter-generational fun at Melbourn Springs where we were joined by Little Wiggles for a fun session of Music and Movement for all generations.
 The residents loved watching the children running around and couldn't wait to join in with singing the nursery rhymes and dancing. They cannot wait until the next session which we will announce in the very near future.
 At Melbourn Springs we know that intergenerational activity is hugely beneficial to all involved as it encourages communication and social skills. Intergenerational contact also helps to develop language and reading confidence through shared activities, as well as increasing confidence and self-esteem. Lastly it helps children to develop empathy, care and kindness, helping them to understand and talk more positively about ageing and older people.

We took the phrase 'Creature Comforts' to the next level at Melbourn Springs this week when we welcomed a number of exotic animals into the home to meet with the residents.
 Tarantula's, snakes, giant crickets and chameleons were amongst our new friends and it is safe to say that the resident's absolutely loved it........the same cannot necessarily be sad about Magda!!!
 Animal therapy is one of the cornerstones of our life enrichment program and features regularly on our resident-led weekly activity planner.