Activities at Westlake House Care Home

Residents enjoy playing hoopla and bocce bowls, which combine exercise with the thrill of competitive sport. We invite entertainers and musicians to visit the home on a regular basis and residents very much enjoy watching them perform.

We also have our pet therapy dog, Marley, visit the home on a fortnightly basis, and residents love petting him. They also enjoy health and fitness days, where they get the opportunity to participate in armchair exercises and target games.

We always celebrate National Volunteer Week, which we use as a chance to say thank you for the wonderful work that our volunteers do that further enhances the quality of life for those who live at Westlake.

As well as continuing with our favourite activities, such as arts & crafts, bingo, knit & natter, Scrabble, board games, bridge, quizzes, pampers & manicures, reminiscence sessions and musical memories, we always like to launch new activities for residents, which give them the opportunity to socialise with their friends and families. These could be our own vegetable patches, flower arranging sessions, a book club or anything else that our imaginations conjure up.

Enriching life
Watch our video on life enrichment in our homes.

Rosie Duhig

Activities Coordinator Lead

I joined the Barchester family in November 2024 and have instantly felt welcome and supported. As an activity coordinator, I am passionate about getting to know our residents and delivering  person-centred care and activities to all residents, an approach supported by a holistic, whole-home view.  

I have been in a Care support role since 2019 and an Activity Coordinator since 2020. I love that my role brings laughter and joy to others. It so wonderful seeing people engaging in an activity they enjoy and interacting with each other. I am very passionate about Intergenerational projects, as something magical happens when old and young get together. 

 

Life-encriching activities booklet

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 Westlake House Care Home

Our talented Chef.

Here at Barchester we pride ourselves on the standard of dining and hospitality that is available to our residents and their relatives and this is showcased in our menu’s and dining options in our homes Craig, Head Chef at Westlake House is currently attending the Barchester’s 2023 Chef Academy led by Mervyn Knights, our Hospitality Development and Standards Manager.

Craig has a wealth of experience and has been Head Chef at Westlake House since September 2022. Craig said "I am really enjoying the academy. It has been great to met Chef's from other Barchester Homes, we have shared ideas and inspired each other. We recently cooked and served food for Natasha, Managing Director and members of the project team. It was good to cook for them and an opportunity to showcase our dining experience." Craig and his team meets with residents and their families regularly to discuss menu selections and residents favorite foods.

For more information about our home please call us on 01403 270 773 or visit.

BBC Interviews our General Manager

Our General Manager Audrey Chiduku recently had an interview on BBC News where she explained how we are managing to keep our residents safe in this hot weather. Audrey advised viewers at home who are bed bound to stay cool, push fluids and not to expose to direct heat. Click here to watch a clip of the interview. Remember to stay cool and hydrated in this warm weather.

A visit from West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service

This week, residents and team members at Westlake House Care Home were delighted to be joined by West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service Matt and his team spoke with residents about their role as a fire fighter's and showed us the equipment they use.

We are very grateful for the time the Horsham Crew spent with us, it was really interesting and thank you for all that you do.

 

Armed Forces Day

Residents and staff at Westlake House, paid their respects to soldiers past and present on Armed Forces Day which took place on Saturday 24 June 2023.

Armed Forces Day is a chance to show support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community from currently serving troops to Service families, veterans and cadets.

This year Westlake House marked the occasion and took some of their residents, who are veterans, to The Armed Forces Day in Horsham. Tony, 100 years old, a Royal Navy Veteran and Derek, 98 years old, an Army Veteran, took a ride on the Barchester mini bus along with some of the team at Westlake House and meet up with Tony's family at the event.

They had a go at making a picture of poppies using Veteran's fingerprints to make the petals. Tony and Derek really enjoyed the day and were moved when members of the public came to say hello and thanked them for their service.

We love to dance at Westlake House.

Westlake House residents enjoyed dancing with Simon Guntrip the other day! We love to dance and as you can see we have still got the moves. Life enrichment is a huge part of what we do at Westlake House. We strive to make the latter days of our residents memorable with lots of fun activities.

For more information visit us at https://www.barchester.com/home/westlake-house-care-home Tel: 01403 270 773

The Centenarian Best Buddies.

Tony, resident at Westlake House recently reached the grand age of 100. Tony is Best Buddies with Baxter, who himself is a Centenarian (in dog years.) Baxter often comes to visit Tony and helps his owner Dave, our Maintenance assistant, with jobs around Westlake House.

You will often see both Tony and Baxter having a chat over a cuppa and giving advice to the Maintenance Team on the best tools for the job!

For more information visit us at https://www.barchester.com/home/westlake-house-care-home Tel 01403 270 773