Activities at Westergate House Care Home
Our teams are trained to enrich the lives of residents through stimulating the mind, body and soul, and taking the time to learn about each person to ensure everyone receives support that adds enrichment to their life.
Our activities team are great at building the activities programme around the likes and interests of the people we care for. Ensuring that our social events offer fun and adventure is part of the ethos of our home; it’s important that those we support can enjoy an active and social lifestyle. Of course, there will always be those who prefer peace and quiet, and in these instances, a cup of tea and a chat are always welcomed.
Lee Austin
My name is Lee and I am the Head of Lifestyle here at Westergate House.
I support our residents daily to do the things they enjoy and it is extremely important to me that we are offering a premium and person centred service to each resident. I support our residents on a daily basis by providing meaningful and quality activities either in groups or on a 1:1 basis, to help encourage and build confidence while creating an enjoyable environment for everyone. Westergate House is the home of our residents, we as staff are working in it, so it is extremely important to me that we are respectful of that, while offering a premium and person centred service to each and every resident.
I am a trained actor and professional vocalist and not shy in making a fool of myself. If I do that every day to put a smile on our residents faces then I’m happy I have played my part, along with the rest of the amazing team, to brightening their day. If you hear someone singing along the corridor or see them dancing in the lounges, it will probably be me.
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 Westergate House Care Home
Paul’s 20 Year Long-service Award Celebrations
Staff, families, past and present, and residents, congratulated our wonderful Senior General Manager, Paul, on his 20-year anniversary working for Barchester Healthcare. Paul has now been our manager at Westergate House for the majority of these glorious years, and it was heart-warming to see so many people join in the celebrations. Mark Bird, our Regional Director, was there, together with Natasha Lazovic, Managing Director, to present Paul with his long-service award.
Paul thanked everyone, saying he feels privileged to be the manager at Westergate, working in the home of our residents, with such supportive families. He went on to say he is exceptionally proud of the amazing and phenomenal team, of almost 100 staff, many of whom have achieved 10, 15, and 20 year service awards too.
We would all like to thank Paul for his enduring sense of fun and comradery, and his stalwart guidance and leadership over all these years.
Trip to the Seaside
At Westergate House we have been celebrating the beautiful spring sunshine, and taking the opportunity to explore the local community.
A trip to the seaside was a popular activity, and residents enjoyed a stroll along the promenade and sitting at a kiosk with an ice-cream.
A chance to reminisce and share stories of family holidays and fun in the sun. We are so lucky to have trips to the sea or to the countryside within a short distance from our home, and are looking forward to making the most of the glorious weather.
Weaving at Westergate House
Our residents at Westergate House have had the fabulous chance to learn a new skill in recent weeks.
Care Assistant, Rose, who is studying textile design at University London, is delivering a series of weaving workshops throughout each of our three communities. With looms and fabric galore, residents are enjoying the creativity and learning, coupled with conversation, tea and cake.
The workshops are going down a storm, and the long-term plan is to create a piece of collaborative artwork reflecting contributions from each community.
Valentine's Cream Tea
A cream tea and afternoon of musical entertainment was enjoyed at Westergate House to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Head Chef Chris baked an amazing array of freshly made scones and cakes that created a stunning display in our bistro area.
Head of Lifestyles, Lee, entertained our residents with some swing and big band numbers, and TreeAnna, a professional singer and entertainer, sang beautiful songs, filling the home with musical harmony.
National Pizza Day!
National Pizza Day was a great excuse for indulging in a delicious afternoon treat.
We decided to make our own pizzas for the occasion, and enjoyed creating a variety of toppings, good enough to compete with the best of the best.
There’s nothing like homemade cooking, and our pizzas were worth the effort. Even the Head Chef was impressed!
Garden Centre Trip!
Westergate House is set in beautiful grounds and benefits the wonderful Southdown's countryside on its doorstep.
We love to make good use of the beautiful location and can often be seen out and about in the Westergate House minibus. A trip to the lovely Manor Nursery Garden Centre was enjoyed by residents who delighted in tea and cake at the superb café, as well as a scenic journey via picturesque villages.
Conversation evolved, and it was a trip down memory lane as residents reminisced about days out shared with their families.
