Activities at Upton Bay Care Home
Activities are an integral part of life at our care home. We want to ensure that the people we support have as much fun as possible during their time with us, so it’s important that our activities programme is created with the interests of residents in mind. Our skilled Activities Coordinators bring a certain uniqueness to the home that can’t be found anywhere else, and which is reflected in the activities they organise.
Karen Grant
I first worked in the care sector in 2010, starting in domiciliary care and progressing to Care Coordinator. I have since gained a wealth of experience in dedicated dementia and residential activities, working as a peripatetic activities coordinator in 16 out of 20 homes within a group, and then in 2018, I was part of a team that commissioned a new luxury care home, where I was an Activities Team Leader.
I enjoy making wishes come true for residents: in February 2015, I organised my first wedding in a care home. The lady resident who was living with dementia was unable to travel to Hertfordshire for her granddaughters wedding, so I brought the wedding to her. I organised a wedding blessing at the home; we had a vicar, a choir, all of the bridal party, the flowers, a buffet, a wedding cake, champagne—the full works.
In 2017, I organised a smaller wedding in the garden, and this was a special wish for a gentleman resident to see his granddaughter married. Organising these special moments gives me a lot of pleasure, knowing I have made them feel special and to give families that happiness and see them smile.
I cannot wait to welcome our residents into their wonderful new home and help to bring smiles, joy and laughter to each day.
Karen is also one of our dementia champions
Read our brochure 'Life-enriching activities' for more information about life in our care homes.
Read our brochure
Activities and Events Partnerships
As part of our bespoke life-enrichment programmes, we host a number of live virtual events in the home on a regular basis through a number of partnerships with places of interest and world class performance companies
Life at Upton Bay Care Home
Minibus ride to Wareham Quay
We were so excited to take our first ride out in our minibus. Residents and staff enjoyed an afternoon ride to Wareham Quay where the sun was shining and the ducks came to say hello. We enjoyed the views with the door pulled open and ice creams in hand.
Our Manager sharing sweet treats
Alain, our wonderful Head Chef baked up a sweet treat of 100 white and milk choc chip cookies so that our General Manager Mevin could get out and about amongst the local community of Hamworthy to offer a surprise sweet treat to a few!
This week Mevin saw an array of people which included the teams at our local GP surgeries, dental practices and Oesteopath through to the team at Lake Yard and Rockley Park to name only a few!
Flower arranging and Reminiscing
Activities are an integral part of life at Upton Bay. We want to ensure that the people we support have as much fun as possible during their time with us, so it’s important that our activities programme is created with the interests of residents in mind. We know that one of our residents absolutely loved her gardening and flower arranging – her gardens and pond were always immaculate.
With this in mind we spent an afternoon arranging Spring blooms and reminiscing.
Red Nose Day
Red Nose Day started off with our lovely Head Chef Alain, making some fabulous cupcakes. They were delicious and enjoyed by all.
In the afternoon, one of our lovely residents, Edna, together with Activities Coordinator, Karen, Senior Care Assistant, Iryna and Care Assistant, Sophie, decorated Red Nose Day-inspired faces on to some plain cupcakes. Firstly, we rolled out the icing, then got to decorating.
Edna laughed, smiled and chatted with all of us and said she'd had a wonderful afternoon.
Pampering times
We are so lucky to have a trained nail technician within the care team here at Upton Bay.
She delivered a full manicure, aromatherapy hand massage and a pastel blue finish, which was chosen by our lovely resident, and it left her feeling pampered and relaxed.
These little treats, combined with a face mask and spa bath, really do make for a relaxing Sunday evening.
Virtual Easter Egg Hunt
We were gifted Easter egg by local company VB Garage Doors and Tesco Tower Park Community Team. Those eggs meant we could host a virtual Easter egg hunt for the children at Upton Methodist Church Pre-school, and boy did it go down well!
Our Easter Bunny (AKA Karen, our Activities Coordinator) got to work hiding the eggs with help from our residents. Then the children directed our bunny through the powers of Skype to find all of the hidden eggs dotted around our home.
Our bunny then took a little road trip in our minibus to deliver all of the eggs to the school. We received a wonderful welcome and a handmade thank you card. We will be sure to keep in touch with our new friends.
Thank you so much for joining in; we were so pleased you enjoyed it as much as we did.
Upcoming events
Knit and Knatter - weekly group
Open to the community. This fun, social group meet every Thursday 10.30-12.00 to knit and chat. Refreshments included
Christmas Fair - Saturday 7th December
Join us for a fun, Christmas event with a variety of stalls including candles, cards, gifts for all your family and friends. Join santa in his grotto
