Activities at Westergate House Care Home

On a Friday, we do love fish and chips at Westergate House, and we feel confident we will dish up the best! Our new resident, Terry, has been lending a helping hand and has the knowledge and know-how of a true fish ‘n chip expert, having been in the business until retirement.  

Terry, a friendly face in our local community, owned the local fish and chip shop in Barnham. We were thrilled when Terry offered to help Head Chef Chris with lunch; the results were plain to see when everyone tucked in with relish.

With the lovely sunny weather, the Westergate House minibus has been out and about in the local community. Beautiful sunshine was a great reason to get on board and take a trip to the Eastergate Village Hall coffee morning. 

A chance to catch up with local friends and have a natter. Refreshments of coffee and cake were an added delight – Lee, our Lifestyles Lead, made sure everyone had a slice of something special!  

We had a fabulous day here at Westergate House. The rain clouds faded away to give us an afternoon of unbroken sunshine; the perfect backdrop for our annual summer party. There was no stopping us: the bar opened, the music began to play, and Head Chef Chris and his amazing kitchen team wheeled out the hog roast picnic, a range of beautiful salads, and a selection of traditional ice cream for dessert. Starting the festival indoors, musical entertainment was provided by Annaliesa, who sang a range of songs from the 1940s, a super decade for jazz and blues. 

With blue skies, we moved outside and enjoyed The Ace Tones, whose renditions of acoustic rock ‘n roll reminded us of the fun of the 1950s; wonderful songs that had us on our feet and jigging in our seats. We were off to the 1960s and 1970s with the next group, The Headlines, a band who didn’t hold back with hits of the decades; tunes that we know so well, and love to remember. The afternoon flew by – the sign of a good party! 

At Westergate House we have been making the most of the fabulous summer sunshine. With a focus on keeping cool, uniform has been relaxed for a few days and we are ensuring everyone keeps hydrated. 

Added to this, was the delightful treat of a visit from the Pinks ice-cream van. Paul, our Senior General Manager, arranged for the special surprise for everyone, and we were only too happy to enjoy refreshing ice-creams with a chocolate flake. Happy summer days! 

At Westergate House we are thrilled to exhibit the culmination of a wonderful art project that has taken place over the last few months. As part of our activities programme, Care Assistant Rose, who is currently completing a year in industry towards her degree studies in Textile Design at the University of the Arts London, has delivered weave workshops across all three communities in the home. 

Rose has spent time with residents demonstrating how to set up the miniature looms, selecting choices of thread, and creating textured fabrics that are wonderful examples of textile art.  

Everyone is delighted with their achievements! The individual pieces have been framed and assembled together to create a super collaboration of creative talent, currently on display in the Memory Lane community. Please have a look when you next visit; an absolute treat!   

At Westergate House we have been stretching out. With a monthly visit from the charity RISE, Raising Spirits, Reaching Goals, residents in our Memory Lane community participated in a seated sports session led by the amazing Donna. There was a tangible air of competition as everyone engaged in the interactive activities that encouraged movement, exercise and social connection. 

Teams Bluebirds and Red Arrows fought it out for number one spot and Bluebirds won the game of bowling! All the activities are tailored to ability, and to improve hand-eye coordination, team-building, and the learning of new skills. This is achieved through adaptation of traditional sports such as cricket, football, hockey, tennis and bowls. Needless to say, a vibrant and exciting atmosphere ensued, as did the chatter! Refreshments after the session were much appreciated.

We do love a minibus trip at Westergate House! Another beautiful day, and we took the opportunity to take a ride to the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in Singleton. It was perfect weather, and everyone enjoyed taking in the fabulous scenery; a backdrop of historic buildings in authentic settings. 

A visit to the shop was a must, and the selection of crafts and cards were perused and admired. Time was taken to relax and enjoy the art provisions, and a peaceful stroll by the water was a great way to stay cool after exploring the sights.

The Westergate House minibus has been out and about again. Making the most of the beautiful weather, we took a trip to one of our favourite destinations, the Weald and Downland Museum in Singleton. 

Such a lovely setting! We spent time relaxing by the lake, enjoying the grounds of the historic dwellings. A visit to the cafe was a must, and we all enjoyed refreshments of tea and cake. A perfect afternoon! 

Everyone at Westergate House was delighted to take part in ‘Get Barchester Moving Week’, the annual charity challenge, in aid of the Barchester Foundation. There was a range of activities in place to give everyone the opportunity to enjoy movement, exercise and to feel fabulous.

As well as our weekly regular exercise class, we enjoyed a visit from a local yoga instructor who delivered yoga sessions across all of our communities.

We tuned into a live event, which explained the merits of engaging in gentle exercise on a regular basis, and also took part in Seated Sports from local fitness experts Rise Life. We couldn’t wait to hear their tips on how to improve our mobility and movement.

With all this activity and stretching out, we went head-to-head with our sister home, Marriott House and Lodge Care Home - Barchester Healthcare on exercise bikes to see whether Westergate or Marriott could win the challenge of the most miles cycled. A fabulous team effort by everyone at Westergate House! 

Here at Westergate House, we have been celebrating Dementia Action Week, 19–25 May, and have been raising awareness of the early signs and symptoms of dementia.

During the week, we were privileged to host a talk by Sage House Dementia Hub, a bespoke hub in our local community, bringing together local Dementia Support services under one roof. The talk was immensely popular, extremely educational, and well-attended by both family members and visitors from the local community. We had a full house! 

We also held a Dementia Disco Afternoon, where our Head of Lifestyles, Lee, took on the persona of ‘DJ Dave’ (a natural transition!), taking our residents on a nostalgic journey down memory lane with music from all eras. There were plenty of props and wigs to go around, and the event was enjoyed by our residents, the staff team and visitors to the home. A lovely excuse for a party!  

A watercolour workshop at Matt Black Barn, Fishbourne, was a popular event for Westergate House residents. A short ride on our minibus took us to the super venue, an educational centre set up by sculptors Andrew Sabin and Laura Ford, where anything artistic is possible! 

With the lovely light setting, our residents had the opportunity to explore the medium of watercolour, and create artwork to be proud of. The benefits of mindfulness and focus were combined with the enjoyment of social interaction and productivity. A fabulous morning!  

We’re in fine tune at Westergate House. With an excellent singing voice, the Westergate Warblers picked up their song sheets and chose a beautiful selection of songs to start the day. Aware of the benefits of music therapy in all our communities, a range of tuneful classics were selected by the choir, before relaxing with a nice cup of coffee. 

Oh, what a beautiful morning!

With fabulous summer blue skies, residents at Westergate House couldn’t wait to take their seats to watch the Red Arrows fly past as part of the Festival of Speed. What a show! 

We were in awe of the aerobatic display that was in full view from our gardens. Sheltering from the sun, we were able to watch the amazing antics unfold, a remarkable vision of precision and speed. Wonderful viewing - and all from the comfort of our parasols!

We have bright shiny new wheels! Our new replacement mini-bus arrived this week and we can’t wait to take a first trip.  Lee, Lifestyles Lead at the home, already has several trips planned over the next few weeks; plenty of opportunity to visit the local community and enjoy the early summer sunshine.  

Paul, our Senior General Manager, took to the driving seat for a dry run, ‘She runs like a dream.  We are looking forward to many happy excursions.’

Fridays are always fabulous at Westergate House. We love to welcome visitors to the home, and this week was no exception! To the delight of residents, four-legged friends in the form of alpacas strolled through the home with an air of confidence and inquisition.  

We marvelled at their friendliness, and, based on their excellent behaviour, wholly agreed that they are welcome at Westergate anytime.