Activities at Oak Grange Care Home

We recently had a most pleasurable evening with the very  talented Sophie Murphy. She really is a talented lady with a beautiful voice. We had an evening of fabulous musical and stage songs along with some very tasty cheese and wine. Six different cheeses for those who like a variety included smoked Bavarian cheese, a stilton, some crumbly creamy Lancashire and some brie from France, obviously a mature cheddar and last but not least some lovely red wine to wash it down. A thoroughly enjoyable evening had by all residents and family and one we are sure to repeat in the new year.

We are very lucky to be involved with Healthbox, a not for profit community interest company made up with a team of dedicated individuals that provide health and wellbeing services. Through these we have been able to have  regular sessions with a lovely lady named Lynne who is a dance teacher. She has been coming to us weekly to teach some seated ballet moves and movement to music. This seems to be a big hit with the residents who look forward to the visits and are now getting into the rhythm  of things and moving to music whenever they are sat down. As we know exercise of any sort is good for us and releases feel good endorphins. The Music is always a big hit as it evokes long forgotten memories and we really do have a wonderful time at these sessions.

Remembrance Sunday is a day to commemorate the contribution of British and commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts.

So we have been putting together our remembrance display, starting with our wall of poppies, all painted by the residents. On Sunday we will be watching the remembrance service and having a minuets  silence at 11am. We also made a wonderful collage with Creative.  These art sessions are a wonderful way of including all residents and providing mental and physical stimulation, along with a sense of pride when it all comes together and a joint piece of artwork is created. We have lots of laughs along the way and the social interaction is a wonderful  way of making new friends and meeting up with old ones. Regular Arts and Crafts sessions are held for residents on a one to one basis or in a group. Next we will be getting creative with lots of Christmas delights. Tinsel, glitter and glue is bound to create some fun.

Residents, staff and families gathered together for an evening of glitz and glamour at our great Gatsby party. We transformed our dining room into a 1920s speak easy. The very talented Sophie Murphy came to sing for us and very quickly had us all up dancing and singing. With some lovely refreshments and nibbles to keep us going we had a whole lot of fun. The husband of one resident said” what a truly memorable evening we have had, it’s just been wonderful to feel we were out at a show. “Everyone dressed for the occasion and we had some wonderful costumes which made the evening even more special, it really was a great Gatsby success.

Residents and staff had a lovely day out visiting Delamere Forest in Cheshire. We travelled in our mini bus to the new café and tourist centre in the heart of the forest. The history of Delamere forest reflects its transformation from a royal hunting ground to a modern recreational area with a focus on conservation and sustainability. It has evolved over the centuries to cater to the changing needs of society while preserving its natural beauty and historical significance. The beautiful autumn colours of the trees were a delight to see and a short stroll to the café allowed us time to see some wildlife too. One resident Tilly said “ it’s nice to be out in the countryside and see the lovely colours and the squirrels” After a nice cup of tea and some delicious cake we took the scenic route home which took longer than expected as were held up by a herd of cows on their way home.

Barchester’s Oak Grange care home, in Mollington, celebrated the Hindu festival of Navaratri, which takes place from October 15th to October 24th.

Navaratri holds an immense significance among Hindus.  Navaratri means nine days and nine nights of worshipping Goddess Durga.  Devotees offer prayers to Maa Durga and observe a fast for nine consecutive days during Navaratri which occurs four times a year.