Activities at Washington Grange Care Home

Staff and residents at Washington Grange marked Dementia Action Week which took place from 15 – 21 May.  Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning – thinking, remembering, reasoning – which can affect a person’s day to day life and activities.  Functions that can be impacted are memory, language skills, visual perception, problem solving, self-management and the ability to focus and pay attention.  The number of people living with dementia in the UK is forecast to increase to over 1m.

General Manager, Paula Joicey said: “Dementia affects many of our residents so all staff receive specialist dementia training to provide person-centred care at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to provide an environment that helps residents to find their way around independently as much as possible, and that residents are happy to call home.”

Across our services Residents had a wonderful time participating in an interactive virtual talk with Pippa Catterall, Professor of History and Policy at the University of Westminster, where we delved into the rich history of coronations.

During the talk, we explored fascinating topics such as the coronation chair, the crown, and other significant aspects related to King Charles' upcoming coronation. Our residents were thrilled to have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the memoirs of past coronations from 1937 and 1953, as well as learning about the coronation oath and what to expect from the ceremony, including the music, guests, and pageantry.

Residents and colleagues at Washington Grange had a very hoppy Easter!  We celebrated Easter in style with a whole host of themed activities and egg-cellent entertainment.  Our residents enjoyed decorating the home, enjoying hot cross buns and a very special visit from our Easter bunny.

In recognition of the day, our talented chef prepared a delicious feast for all to enjoy, from carrot soup, roasted lamb and salmon with creamed spinach to tasty chocolate cake and Easter biscuits.  As always, we’ve had an amazing time.

Residents and staff at Washington Grange always welcome visitors to the home, this week they were delighted to see a very special little visitor who brightened up their afternoon!

The home benefit from intergenerational links across the local community. When they visit the children and residents are soon at ease with each other – playing games, chatting or simply interacting.

One resident said, ‘We love children coming here, they really are lovely.

Our residents were treated to a special virtual sensory storytelling session.  Together with Art Historian Jon Sleigh and the Historic Royal Palaces community team, we explored several royal palaces through the theme of food, dining and celebration!

We enjoyed a fantastic taste-a-long experience from the comfort of our home, from Tudor treats to Stuart sweets. A lovely time was had by all.

Across our services, our residents had a lovely time joining Mark Piesing for an exciting virtual event to discuss his book ‘N-4 Down: The Hunt for The Arctic Airship Italia’.

Our residents were thrilled to find out more about the book and the fascinating story of the world-famous exploring airship Italia, returning from the North Pole on May 24, 1928. The airship was struck by a terrible storm and crashed somewhere over the Arctic ice, triggering the largest polar rescue mission in history.

The virtual book club experience was truly enjoyed by all.