Activities at Moreton Hill Care Home

It is always a pleasure to be involved in community projects and our residents were delighted to be asked to contribute to the annual Stonehouse in Bloom event this summer.  The theme is friendship and we have been tasked  to put together artwork depicting various aspects of the theme.  Our residents have brainstormed ideas and are now in the process of working with a local artist to put their thoughts onto paper and then on to the boards that will appear in the town centre from June onwards.

We enjoy finding out about our residents’ past lives and interests.  This month, however, the spotlight was on Colin one of our maintenance team who entertained us all with a talk about his hobbies of running a smallholding and helping out in the season at a local pheasant shoot.  Colin brought in a couple of his shotguns to show our residents as well as some toys used to train his gun dogs.  There were lots of questions from our residents who loved this very different event.  We have already booked Colin in to talk to us again and this time he has promised to bring in some baby kids (goats) to show us all!

Our residents enjoyed a talk and display of fine haute couture from dressmaker Sandra who brought along a selection of beautiful miniature mannequins to show everyone.  Sandra has made clothes from the 40s to the 80s showing all the different fashions throughout the decades.  It was great fun for the residents recalling their favourite outfits from each era.  On this occasion the focus was on the 1950s.  Sandra has also started a collection of wedding dresses from the 1920s to 2020s.  It is incredible to see how design and fashion has changed over the years.

It is great when different age groups get together – so many stories to share and things to learn.  We have loved the visits of the toddlers from Kiddibops and also the pupils from Cashes Green school.  Our residents have been teaching the older children some of their favourite songs and the children have been getting everyone to sing along with them.  ‘Head, shoulders, knees and toes’ always gets people laughing and having a go.  We also play games with our parachute and of course it is useful to have youngsters who can crawl underneath and retrieve all the ball. 

Another new activity to add to our range.  Jarla, a local yoga instructor has started giving lessons to us twice a month.  Yoga can be seated or standing and is great for relaxation and improving our core stability and flexibility.  Not only is it a good workout but it is great fun too!  The yoga also complements our other exercise classes – G Fitness with Martha three times a month and of course our very popular in house Oomph music and movement sessions!

With the warmer weather upon us our minibus trips out have started up again.  Surrounded by beautiful countryside and places of interest there is always lots to see and do in this part of the Shire.  Our residents often come up with suggestions of where to go and we also have a weekly ‘ Make My Wish Come True’ where the wish is often  to go out somewhere special.  This time it was Roger’s name that came out of the hat and he asked to be taken out for tea and for a look around a local garden centre.

Other trips out this year have included a drive down to Arlingham to see the River Severn just after the highest bore had passed through and also trips out to see the spring flowers and spot the newborn lambs in the fields. 

On the agenda and coming up we have a trip to the nearby Javelin Park incinerator.  We had to book this over a year ago as believe it or not this is a really popular and interesting place to visit.  Well, you can’t say we don’t have variety on our trips!!