Activities at Plas-Y-Dderwen Care Home

On August 10th, Plas y Dderwen transformed into the Wild West for our summer fete, bringing a taste of cowboy country to our community. Staff came dressed cowboy and cowgirl attire, and even some of our residents joined in the fun, sporting cowboy hats.

The festivities kicked off with lively music from Jimmy Elvis, setting the perfect tone as cake sales and the tombola were in full swing. Meanwhile, our garden buzzed with excitement as guests enjoyed classic games like the coconut shy, hook the duck, and tin can alley.

The star attraction of the day was undoubtedly the "Soak the Managers" event, where Sharon, our Senior General Manager, and Kelly, our Deputy Manager, bravely took their places in the stocks. Visitors had a blast throwing wet sponges at them, with some even opting for a whole bucket of water! But don't feel too sorry for them—they were the coolest of us all, as the afternoon blessed us with warm sunshine and clear blue skies.

The day concluded on a high note with a performance by Robbie Lee, who had everyone singing and dancing in the garden. It was an absolutely fantastic day, filled with laughter, music, and great fun for everyone involved – YeeHaw!

The weather hasn’t been particularly kind to us this month, but whenever the sun managed to break through the clouds, we made the most of it by heading straight to our newly renovated patio area. These sunny moment have given us the perfect opportunity to enjoy outdoor games like boules, hook the duck and Jenga. We have also cherished the simple pleasure of sitting together, enjoying one another’s company, and spending leisurely afternoons in conversation.

At Plas y Dderwen, we take great pride in offering a diverse range of engaging activities tailored to residents’ interests and needs. Each month, we hold a residents meeting, providing a way for everyone to suggest new ideas and activities they would like to see on our weekly planner. We’re passionate about creating a vibrant and enjoyable environment, where creativity thrives, and every resident has the opportunity to learn new skills or continue pursuing their hobbies.

Our innovative ‘Getting to Know Me’ books play a crucial role in this process. By learning about each resident’s personal history, preferences, and interests, we’re able to design activities that truly resonate with them, ensuring everyone feels included and valued.

This month has been particularly exciting at Plas y Dderwen. We’ve explored a wide variety of activities, from doll therapy sessions that offer comfort and connection, to lively music workshops where residents can express themselves creatively. We’ve also enjoyed the thrill of parachute games, the anticipation of traditional bingo, the challenge of learning guitar, and the fun of balloon tennis, among many other activities.

Our commitment to making everyday enjoyable and meaningful for our residents is at the heart of everything we do. We believe that by encouraging participation and focusing on individual interests, we can create a warm and fulfilling community where everyone feels at home.

We love music at Plas y Dderwen and we love a good choir and that’s what we got recently, with a wonderful performance from a group of very talented ladies.

We received a very special visit from a Carmarthen based ladies choir - Tonic.

The group of women brought the WOW factor to us all, as they entertained us with their Welsh singing and their variety of musical instruments.

Jill, one of our residents, was over the moon to find there were some old friends amongst the group and she said, "That has made my day, I can't stop smiling!"

Geraint and Dai both agreed that the group should definitely come back and they said "They were amazing!"

The residents enjoyed listening to their singing and some loved singing along with them.

After the performance we got to know the members a little more with tea and biscuits. We had a wonderful afternoon with the Choir and we are so grateful that they came to visit and look forward to more performances from them in the future.

Johnstown School is a 10 minute walk from our home and when we were invited to their school fete, we accepted immediately. A small group of us took a walk to the school and it was bursting with fun and energy. The residents enjoyed walking around the school grounds, admiring all the stalls and we had a bash at ‘Name the Elephant’. The residents enjoyed the delicious hot dogs on offer and we even met a Welsh Dragon from the local Fire Department. We had a wonderful afternoon together and it was great to see the community coming together.

Over the last few months, Year 2 pupils of Model School in Carmarthen have been visiting us on a weekly basis. We have been using the sessions as a chance to build friendships within the community. Every Thursday we have held arts and crafts classes where the children and residents get to join together for colour therapy and card making. In recent weeks we even introduced games such as draughts and chess. The sessions have been a huge success and have benefitted both residents and children. It has been wonderful to see them interacting and asking each other questions, learning about each other’s lives. The children have also entertained us with singing and poetry recitals too!