Activities at Rose Lodge Care Home

To mark Dementia Action Week, staff and residents at Rose Lodge were delighted to be gifted beautiful branded memory boxes filled with retro Cadbury chocolate bars as well as receiving a visit from the Mayor and Mayoress of Wisbech.

This inspirational idea came about through Cadbury’s work with Alzheimer’s Research UK, following requests from care homes and dementia support groups to the Cadbury archives for packaging no longer in circulation. Alongside Alzheimer’s Research UK, the business is working to create a nostalgic experience for those living with dementia, featuring iconic Dairy Milk bars, from as far back as 1915 until the present day.

Staff and residents at Rose Lodge used the Cadbury Memory Bar boxes at their recent afternoon tea when the Mayor and Mayoress of Wisbech attended to mark Dementia Action week. The home also invited Steve Carmel to sing a medley of classic songs to their residents to take them back down memory lane.

Rose Lodge in Wisbech marked the anniversary of Victory in Europe Day in style by throwing a 1940s afternoon tea party to remember.  The home was decorated in red, white and blue and residents and staff dressed up in their 1940s-inspired glad rags and enjoyed an afternoon of big band music and dancing.

In the morning residents enjoyed some entertainment from local performers KJ and the Catt who sang a medley of British classics including songs from Vera Lynn as well as the national anthem. Everyone was wearing British themed accessories as well as having flags to wave during the performance.

The care homes catering team whipped up a delicious selection of freshly-baked biscuits, sandwiches, cakes and pastries for the occasion, all washed down with pots of tea and a celebratory glass of fizz to mark the occasion in their afternoon tea.

Residents always look forward to seeing Debbie from Gratitude 43 with her wonderful arts and crafts sessions. This month the lovely residents made beautiful bird sun catchers to hang in their bedroom windows. The residents had lots of fun creating these using different vibrant colours and chatting about the various birds we see in the gardens. Afterwards we continued chatting with Debbie for lunch which was ever so much fun.

Resident Alice said, "I thoroughly enjoy art and craft sessions and catching up with all the ladies who join". Resident Wendy added, "It's is just so nice, all of us being round the table together exchanging conversation with each other and making beautiful items for the home".

These craft activities with Gratitude 43 help residents to boost their mood, learn new skills, gain confidence and provide us all with a sense of achievement.

Rose Lodge opened its doors to the community for a delightful coffee morning. Residents and staff were also joined by a lovely lady from St Peter and St Paul Parish Church of Wisbech who loved chatting away with residents about what they'd been up to and their life history.

Resident Barbara said, "We had such a lovely time chatting about the running and upkeep of the church. They do their very best fixing things and fundraising to help pay towards the costs. I'm looking forward to supporting the church further".

After this delightful conversation about the church, residents and staff came together to start brainstorming about how they can help support at Rose Lodge. We are all looking forward to what they'll come up with to further support the local community.

Rose Lodge residents welcomed back Jake from JG Fitness for an energising fitness class this week. Jake always brings something new to our exercise sessions, keeping us engaged and healthy. During this session we had a fantastic time with our resistance bands, keeping up with the beat of the music and having fun throughout.

These fantastic classes are great for physical well-being and cognitive skills. After our amazing exercise we all had a well deserved cup of tea.

Today, Activities Lead Jane and Volunteer Cheryl bought the Grand Nationals to Rose Lodge. Residents got prepared with a fabulous lunch wearing their chosen Ladies Hats before the big race in the afternoon.

Everyone gathered in the lounge and each resident had a booklet to choose their special horse. The lounge was a buzz with excitement as the horses sprinted towards the finish line on the TV. During the nail biting events everyone enjoyed scrumptious refreshments and chocolates while reminiscing.

Resident Vera shared with us all that she always used to place a bet on the Grand Nationals and loved reliving this experience with everyone.