Activities at West Abbey Care Home
Our Activities Coordinators are constantly striving to mentally and physically stimulate those we support by organising group and individual activities for anyone and everyone to participate in. There are regular outings in the minibus to nearby places of interest, as well as visits from the Donkey sanctuary, musicians and entertainers. We also host evenings such as our Cheese & Wine evenings and BBQ's in the summer, that we encourage relatives to come to. Activities are one of the most important aspects of a care home, so it is essential that our team are dedicated to ensuring that residents are entertained. We encourage our residents to participate in any way they can. We also encourage relatives to join with activities and events as often as they can to ensure that life at West Abbey is fun and active for all.
Ryan Palmer
Hello, I'm Ryan and I joined West Abbey in 2018 in Hotel Services team where I was nominated 2 years running in the Barchester Care Awards by residents and their families. I moved to Activities in June 2021 which suits my outgoing personality. I know our residents well and love seeing their enjoyment of the entertainment we provide plus going out into the community on our mini bus, I have lived in Yeovil all my life so know all the best places to visit. The team call me the 'IT hero' as I'm always able to resolve the connection issues with our virtual events and our computer / tablets!
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 West Abbey Care Home
Pet Therapy
Here at West Abbey we have received our fortnightly visit from Harry out Pet Therapy dog! Every visit Harry walks the home and visit residents in the communal areas and their bedrooms, he brings a smile to so many. Research has shown animals, such as cats and dogs, releases endorphins, having a calming effect and therefore reducing stress levels. This is especially beneficial for patients that suffer from dementia or anxiety.
Oscars Awards
West Abbeys Oscars was full of fun and laughter as we celebrated in style. There were 5 categories, which everyone could have voted for a Residents, Staff and Relatives .There was definitely some competition between the votes! The evening involved winners receiving trophies whilst rounding off the night with a professional singer and refreshments prepared by our Head Chef.
Open Day
Here at West Abbey we were delighted to welcome the community into our home on Saturday to showcase everything that this beautiful home has to offer. We started the day off with a flower arranging demonstration from Helen. The residents created beautiful floral displays using greenery from the homes garden! In the afternoon we had an art class hosted by local art teacher, Josie Reay. The residents all enjoyed turning their beautiful water paintings in to greeting cards!
Music Session
Jan, a local singer has joined us at West Abbey and it wasn’t long before she had everybody up dancing. Residents, staff and relatives all joined in clapping, singing and dancing along as Jan filled the whole home with music. Jan even treated us to a duet with one of our residents. Jan always brings smiles and joy to our home, the residents are already asking when she’ll be back.
Football Fans
Here at West Abbey a few of our residents have had an fantastic time watching Yeovil Town FC Vs Dartford FB at Huish Park in Yeovil. It was amazing being there with all the fans cheering on our local football team and to celebrate the players for winning the league. Well done team Yeovil, we can't wait to return!
Community Donation
Staff and residents at Barchester’s West Abbey care home, in Yeovil, celebrated Easter with a whole host of different activities one being creating Easter baskets filled with lots of treats to hand out to local business’. Residents enjoyed making and filling the baskets with treats, followed by deciding where they would like them to be handed out to. After lots of suggestions the residents came together and decided they would like to gift them to Heneford Lodge Doctors medical centre, Magnolia house and St. Margaret’s hospice.
