Activities at Tyspane Care Home

Halloween music's precursor is blues music, which was nicknamed "the devil's music" by detractors. The genre featured secular, and often risky lyrics, as well as themes relating to racial oppression. For these reasons, detractors associated it with unholiness. Blues music is defined in part by the blues scale, which can be used to create dissonant and "spooky" sounds. Blues music influenced Halloween songs such as "I Put a Spell on You".

In the 1950s and 1960s, various doo-wop groups, groups influenced by blues music, began to release novelty Halloween-themed songs. "Monster Mash" is an example of such a novelty doo-wop Halloween song. Despite its Halloween themes, doo-wop Halloween music from this era is largely indistinguishable from non-Halloween themed doo-wop music in terms of musical characteristics.

Following the 1960s, Halloween music began to split into various other genres aside from the blues and doo-wop. Classic and hard rock music also included sinister themes, and as such have been associated with Halloween. Songs such as "Highway to Hell" and "Sympathy for the Devil", which are both often considered to be Halloween music, feature blues notes and blues-inspired chord progressions.

Having this understanding of Halloween music residents, friends, families and staff were treated to a spooky but fun afternoon of Karaoke with the bewitching Terry. His piercing voice was enough to raise the hairs on the backs of resident’s necks.

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Halloween for some is a chance to celebrate with traditions such as trick or treat, wear fancy dress or attend scary parties. However, Tyspane Care Home is always mindful that many residents may feel particularly vulnerable at this time of year and avoid activities. Therefore, in order to support residents, families and friends to celebrate Halloween the activities staff asked residents what they wanted to do. After much discussion they opted to talk about Halloween in their weekly book club by studying poems and rhymes from the past. Particularly, with those with hidden meanings.

So, Tyspane Care Home residents chose “Hey Diddle Diddle” to represent Halloween this year due to its historical themes and the fact that it dates back to the sixteenth century. It also generated a great deal of conversation and critical thinking. Such as, when the story versions of Mother Goose nursery rhymes were written in 1897 by L. Frank Baum retold Hey Diddle Diddle from little boys’ perspective. The boy saw the cat having a mishap and panicking after getting stuck to a fiddle, the cow jumping over the moon in water, the dog simply running around and baring with excitement, and the dish and spoon being those from his own supper, sliding into a brook.

David (Resident Ambassador) stated, “What a wonderful way to explain the rhyme something nonsense into something plausible.”

Jacqui (Activities Co-Ordinator) reminded everyone, “Hey Diddle Diddle is a single, six-line rhyme and the third line, rather wonderfully, is where the expression to be “over the moon,” meaning elated, comes from.”

Thank you for everyone who participated in this activity, extremely stimulating.

World Opera Day is celebrated in October to honour the birthdays of Georges Bizet and Johann Strauss ll, two of the most famous opera composers. The day is a time to celebrate the art form of opera, and is celebrated by opera companies, artists, professionals, and lovers of opera. World Opera Day was launched by OPERA America, Opera Latin-American, and Opera Europa to advocate for opera and the arts in general. Opera is an international language, and its stories reflect the values of freedom and tolerance.

For Tyspane Care Home, Opera Day allowed Helen one of our residents to indulge her passion for opera, for Helen Opera is an art form that combines music, theatre, and storytelling, the voices of opera singers transport her to another world. Also, female opera singers are called sopranos, they are cast to sing the highest voicing in the classical work and today in the activities lounge Tamsin Ball a wonderful performer or in opera circles, a prima donna (leading lady) sang beautifully to honour opera day and Helen.

All human passions are represented in opera, tragedy and death are often at the heart of the plot. The characters, sometimes torn between their feelings and their duty, are confronted with extraordinary situations and are carried away by their heightened feelings. This was also true of our residents today who were observed laughing, smiling and crying throughout the performance. Simply magical.

Helen’s friends said, "Thank you for a wonderful afternoon, it is lovely to see everyone so happy. Helen has enjoyed herself."

Thank You Tamsin and look forward to seeing you in December as part of Tyspane Care Home thirty days of Christmas.
 

Tyspane Care Home understands this importance and actively encourages all staff to create professional supportive relationships with friends and families of residents. Barchester states it’s committed to:

“Supporting residents to maintain contact with those important to them, and always do our best to work alongside them, and their family and friends, to deliver the best care and support. This is achieved through great communication, whether it be through meaningful conversations or more structured meetings. We actively recruit and support resident ambassadors, to benefit residents’ health and wellbeing. We welcome ideas and feedback, so colleagues can act to improve the services provided in our homes.”

At Tyspane Care Home we have our very own Resident Ambassador, David Prior who gets involved in all aspects of home life. For example, guided tours, colleague recruitment and overseeing resident and family and friends’ meetings. He acts as the voice of our residents, he offers another way to express concerns, share suggestions and tell us where we’re doing things right. 

David Prior (Resident Ambassador) stated, “I enjoy talking to resident families and friends, it helps me understand each and every resident and what is important to them.”

Today at Tyspane Care Home, the Activities Team and the Physiotherapy Team came together to deliver not one but three moments of magic which would have a lasting impact on Mary, Tony and Heather. All three residents expressed that they wanted to either walk or feel their feet on the ground again, they stated they have spent so long in wheelchairs that they have forgotten the sensation and feeling of freedom that moving and standing gives them.

Mary, Tony and Heather were completely taken back and the look of surprise on their faces was priceless, as none of them knew about the magical moment they were about to experience. Smiles, laughter, tears and feelings of excitement filled the room not only from the residents but the activities team, physiotherapists and supporting staff as Mary, Tony and Heather realised what was about to happen.

Rob, Katie and Babs (physiotherapists) completed thorough physiotherapist assessments performing tests and measurements to assess Mary, Tony and Heather's wellbeing and health in order that they could participate in today's magical moments. The physiotherapists worked seamlessly together to ensure each resident could safely use the specialist equipment that would allow them to stand or walk again, to feel their feet and the sensation of standing tall. Rob, Katie and Babs effortlessly used the ceiling hoist and specialist sling support to raise Mary, Tony and Heather to a standing position and if possible, allowing each of them to walk independently. 

Heather said, "I feel so proud."

Mary replied with tears of happiness in her eyes, "I never expected to ever stand again, a great surprise today. Thank You."

Tony, "It feels so different to my normal physiotherapy, I cannot believe I am about to walk without a stick."

Babs (Head of Physiotherapy at Tyspane) said, “I cannot stop crying this has been an amazing experience for everyone, so emotional.”

A massive thank you to Babs, Rob and Katie for supporting the Activities Team to provide these magical, life enrichments for residents. Simply amazing. 

So, remember, it's never too late to stop dreaming!

According to Joan Colins, age is just a number, it’s irrelevant unless, of course, you happen to be a bottle of wine!

Luckily for residents, friends, families and staff at Tyspane Care Home this is not the case. Yesterday, Bertram and Mary had the most spectacular party to celebrate their birthdays. Bertram being 104 years old and Mary being 60 years old. Both Mary and Bertram being long term residents at Tyspane Care Home. 

The home was absolutely buzzing, decorations were hung, party hats worn, balloons floating in the electrified atmosphere and a table full of delicious party treats, cake and champers. 

The beautiful and talented Emily Bragg from Mini Concerts entertained residents, friends, families and staff with a medley of party songs. It was simply magical. 

Miriam (Mary’s Mother) said, “Emily was an amazing singer and entertainer, the food and drinks made this even more special and everyone made Mary feel loved. Thank you to everyone for going the extra mile. I feel rather overwhelmed.”

David (Resident Ambassador) replied, “At Tyspane, we are one big family loved by all.”