Activities at North Park Care Home

Residents at North Park took part in a day of rituals and customs to celebrate Hanukah, the Festival of Lights, which took place from 10 December to 18 December with a fun-filled day of activities.

Hanukah commemorates a miraculous Jewish victory over 2,000 years ago. Hanukah traditions are themed around the long-established rituals and customs that took place at that victory, the most important being the lighting of a Menorah or eight candles each evening to signify the eight days that the festival lasts.

Residents observed the rituals and said blessings, listened to holiday music and played traditional dreidel games, a dreidel is a four sided top with a letter on each side. Staff and residents sampled special holiday foods traditionally made with olive oil such as delicious potato cakes (latke) served with apple sauce and sour cream, and homemade doughnuts all prepared by the homes hospitality team.

Residents and staff members at North Park have been busy making up Christmas Crackers filled with sweets to spread a little festive cheer to school children in the area and local children’s hospital wards. The home were overwhelmed with the generosity and through donations from friends and families the total created was 600 crackers all individually created.

Residents voted to send 400 Crackers to Reid Street School who have been frequent visitors to North Park in the past two years before the pandemic hit and Covid19 restrictions came into force in March. Staff dressed as Elves to deliver these into the community and were greeted by Head Teacher, Mrs Ayto with the head boy and girl accepting.  They were overjoyed to receive the gifts and are looking forward to the time they can return to visit when circumstances allow.  

Residents are overjoyed at North Park care home in Darlington, as Barchester Healthcare has implemented a visiting suite for residents to continue to spend time with their loved ones for the autumn and winter seasons in addition to the outdoor visiting that has been on offer for those able for many months.

Balancing resident wellbeing and safety is at the forefront of Barchester Healthcare’s thinking and they understand how important it is for residents and their family and friends to be able to spend time together in the safest way possible.

Neil a Resident at North Park was born and raised in Paisley, Scotland,  and had only one wish for his birthday.  Neil wanted a traditional hearty Scottish breakfast, compiled of a small piece of haggis, ‘proper’ black pudding and a square sausage. Not to disappoint General Manager, Lisa Frame’s husband Alex sent word out to his colleagues in the British Army and as luck would have it, the plea was answered by a soldier traveling from Scotland to Catterick the day before Neil’s  birthday, who was only too happy to help a  veteran have his birthday wish granted.  Happy Birthday Neil!

Residents and staff at North Park were delighted to be able to give something back to their local community.  Resident, Rita helped staff pack over 200 tinned items along with pasta, rice, breakfast cereals, tea and coffee as well as little extras such as chocolates, toiletries and small gift sets to be collected by a local food bank.

The items had been generously donated by staff at North Park  in their continuing efforts to support local families and individuals who are less fortunate than themselves. Rita said “I think it is marvellous what you accomplish here, you are all so very caring and I’m so pleased to have been of some help to you today”

Following government guidelines we were unable to welcome our usual trick or treaters from the community this year so residents opted to have a tea party with a twist. The homes reception was decked out to portray a spooky, gruesome and comical Halloween  theme incorporating Arthur our freaky clown and Isabella our  gruesome fortune-teller.

Residents enjoyed a delicious evening cream tea with their friends in their social bubbles, while staff dressed in their finery waited on their every need while showing off their best dance moves to classics such as ‘ Monster Mash’, ‘Time Warp’, ‘There’s a Ghost in my House’ and much more. June said she had so much she wished it could go on forever!